Hindu Organizations Relief Work

Sewa Bharati hands over 248 houses for tsunami victims in Nagapattinam

2006-07-29T06:47:00.000-07:00

By Ramesh Subramaniam

An impressive function was held at Keechankuppam village in the outskirts of Nagapattinam town on July 6 to mark the handing over of 248 permanent houses constructed by Sewa Bharati, Tamil Nadu, for the tsunami victims. The religious ceremonies like griha pravesh, go puja, vastu shanti puja, etc., were conducted on July 5 and early morning of July 6.

Swami Goutamananda, president of Ramakrishna Mutt, Chennai, first inaugurated the majestic arch erected at the entrance of Vyas Nagar, the name given to the new colony. Very appropriately, a statue of Maharishi Ved Vyas has also been installed at the entrance in a small but beautiful garden. After the inauguration, all the dignitaries proceeded to the stage.

The dignitaries included Shri Mohan Bhagwat, Sarkaryavah of RSS, Shri Raman, Deputy Collector of Nagapattinam, Shri Radha, IAS, Chief Planning Officer of Nagapattinam, Shri Kothandaraman, chairman of Nagapattinam Municipality, Dr Shankar Tattwawadi, overseas coordinator of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), Shri Shyam Parande, secretary of Sewa International, Dr Senkottayan, state president of Sewa Bharati, Tamil Nadu, and others. The newly constructed houses have been handed over to the government and not to the tsunami victims directly.

Inaugurating the plaque bearing the names of the main donors of the first phase of the project, viz IDRF-USA, Sewa International-UK and Sewa International-USA Chapter, Swami Goutamananda applauded the exemplary spirit of solidarity shown by the volunteers and office-bearers of the three main donor organisations in helping the victims of the tsunami disaster in the most appropriate way by giving them a permanent shelter, which is a basic necessity. He also praised the numerous selfless volunteers of Sewa Bharati, Tamil Nadu, for helping the tsunami victims at every stage since the attack on December 26, 2004.

Shri Mohan Bhagwat remarked that the spirit with which Sewa Bharati volunteers rendered a yeoman’s service is quite different from others. “Sewa Bharati renders service with the spirit of ‘service to man is service to Almighty and nation’ and not with any other considerations. Also the volunteers feel that it is their duty to give their time and energies to the needy sections of the society,” he said and added that the Sewa Bharati has been successful in kindling the spirit of service in the recipients as well, unlike usual cases where the recipients keep permanently receiving and are never made to participate and share their time and energy for service activities. Shri Bhagwat handed over a model of one block of four houses to Shri Radha, symbolically to mark the handing-over of the fully completed 248 permanent houses in the first phase.

Shri Radha, Shri Raman and Shri Kothandaraman, who also spoke at the function, were unanimous in applauding the brilliant spirit of selfless service demonstrated by Sewa Bharati’s volunteers.

Dr Shankar Tattwawadi said he is very satisfied with the speedy and efficient construction work, which has been accomplished by Sewa Bharati. The entire fisher folk of Keechankuppam and Akkarapettai who attended the function thanked the Sewa Bharati and all donors for their unique gesture of compassion showered on them.

In the first phase of construction the IDRF-USA has funded the cost of 100 houses, Sewa International-UK 70 houses and Sewa International-USA 40 houses. The site of the colony is located on the bank of back-waters and fishermen can bring their boats to the backyard of their colony. Each house measures 390 sq.ft. as against 325 sq.ft. recommended by the government. Many private testing agencies were employed by the Sewa Bharati to ascertain the quality of work at every stage of construction.
organiser.org

VHPA Condemns Mumbai and Srinagar Blasts

2006-07-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

To help the families of victims of these horrendous blasts, VHP-America is appealing for funds from the Hindu American community. Your contributions are tax deductible. You can write your checks in favor of VHPA with "Mumbai Blast Victims" in the subject line.

Please mail your contributions to:

VHPA
P. O. Box 441505,
Houston, TX 77244

You will get a receipt for your contributions. You can also contribute online by visiting www.vhp-america.org. For more information in this regards, please contact Girish Gandhi, at 973-580-8451 or email him.

*Note, the website is still awaiting updating but I received word from them that this should be done within the next 24 hours. To donate, all you need to do is click on the "Donate Now" section at the right hand side.

Press Release

VHPA Condemns Mumbai and Srinagar Blast Victims and Sets up Relief Funds for Blast Victims

Contact Information: Gaurang Vaishnav, vicharak@gmail.com , 732-744-0851

June 12, 2006

On behalf of Hindu American community of USA, Vishwa Hindu
Parishad of America (VHPA) expresses its deepest sympathies for the victims of most recent bomb blasts in Mumbai and Srinagar. More than 190 persons are officially dead and the number of seriously injured runs in several hundreds if not more. VHPA shares the grief of the families of the departed ones, and assures that Hindus of America stand united with their brothers and sisters in Mumbai and Srinagar in this time of their need.

CLICK AND DONATE

To help the families of victims of these horrendous blasts, VHPA is appealing for funds from the Hindu American community. Your contributions are tax deductible. You can write your checks in favor of VHPA with "Mumbai Blast Victims" in the subject line.

Please mail your contributions to: VHPA, P. O. Box 441505, Houston, TX 77244. You will get a receipt for your contributions. You can also contribute online by visiting www.vhp-america.org . For more information in this regards, please contact Girish Gandhi, at 973-580-8451 or email him vp_seva@vhp-america.org.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America strongly condemns these blasts. These are heinous acts of cowardice. This is not the first time that innocent people have been targeted by terrorists in recent years. The shootings in Akshardham, attempts to blow away Ramjanmabhoomi Mandir, communal riots in Mau, bombing in Delhi marketplaces during last Diwali season, bombings in Varanasi, and the recent explosions in Mumbai and Srinagar, all point to the fact that these acts of terrorism are not random, disconnected happenstances. A nefarious design seeking to terrorize and thereby, weaken India's resolve is the motivation behind these acts of terrorism. Unfortunately, the state and central authorities of India have been callous and blatantly negligent in terms of protecting acknowledging the gravity of the situation and actually doing something about it.

The government authorities must take notice, and act with a sense of urgency to rectify this situation. Unfortunately, till so far, all that the government has done is issue effete statements dipped in bravado, but bereft of any meaningful action, whatsoever. It is only action, concrete and focused, which will solve the pressing problem of terrorism rooted in Islamic extremism that India currently faces. We urge all concerned persons to register their protest with the Indian Embassy by expressing their outrage at the callousness of the Indian establishment in terms of its commitments to the protection of lives and property in particular, and national integrity in general.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) of Americ (VHPA), founded in 1970 and incorporated in the state of New York in 1974, is an independent, nonprofit, tax- exempt and volunteer-based charitable organization serving the needs of Hindu community in USA. It aims to build a dynamic and vibrant Hindu society rooted in the eternal values of Dharma and inspired by the lofty ideal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, i.e. the entire creation is one family.

KASHMIR EARTHQUAKE : Statement by RSS

2005-10-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

http://www.rss.org/New_RSS/News/NewsDetail.jsp

Statement by RSS

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh expresses deep anguish and sorrow over the huge loss of life, limb and property due to the recent earthquake in J&K and Pakistan. Nature's fury has left thousands dead, lakhs homeless and millions grieving. We convey our deepest condolences to the victims of the killer quake on both sides of the LoC.

The Jammu unit of the RSS has immediately plunged into action and sent two teams, one each to Uri and Poonch tehsils, to take stock of the situation. Swayamsevaks in Poonch had immediately started relief activity with the available resources and the help of the Army. They rescued several people who were stuck in the collapsed houses and secured their belongings from those houses. Arrangements were made by Swayamsevaks in Poonch area for food, shelter etc for the victims who were left homeless by the quake.

In Srinagar, a team of 4-5 of our activists is engaged in helping the victims at the Children's Hospital. They are providing emotional succor as well as material help to the patients and their families. Milk, fruits, necessary clothing etc are being provided to the victims there.

Immediate challenge is to provide temporary shelters and protection from cold and chill of the on-setting winter. We have sent 1000 blankets to the Poonch area today and another 1000 blankets will be dispatched tomorrow to Uri area.

Our teams have gone to assess the extent of damage etc the report of which will be placed before the National Executive of the RSS which is meeting from 21 to 23 October at Chitrakoot. Detailed rehabilitation plans will be prepared there for all the three affected tehsils, i.e. Poonch, Uri, Tangdhar.

Many refugees in Jammu have their relatives in Mujaffarabad and other areas in PoK, which have borne the major brunt of the quake. They are expressing their desire to go and help the affected brethren in PoK. We will certainly consider extending support to any such initiative.

RAM MADHAV

KASHMIR : International Association of Human Values in Action

2005-10-15T20:53:00.000-07:00

http://iahv.org/earthquake2005.htm

International Association of Human Values (IAHV) has started assessment of the earthquake-affected areas in Jammu & Kashmir, India and Pakistan. IAHV and Art of Living Foundation volunteers, including a team of doctors and trauma relief experts, are reaching the hardest-hit areas of Baramulla and Uri, India, where the two organizations will carry out relief and rehabilitation work. The foundation will soon start trauma relief camps for the survivors and conduct special programs for children who are gripped by fear and anxiety.

In Pakistan, a team of volunteers led by Art of Living Teacher Naeem Zamindar, is headed for Balakot, the worst effected area. The organizations have started collecting emergency relief supplies and set up a trauma relief center in Islamabad.

The efforts will not only bring material help to those in need but also tend to the mental and emotional needs of those who have lost loved ones and their livelihood due to the disaster. Volunteers have acquired expertise in disaster management and trauma relief from their experiences in similar disasters in the past.
The foundation continues to provide trauma relief camps in the tsunami-affected areas in India and Sri Lanka, as well as in the US Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It conducted major relief operations in the aftermath of earthquakes in Gujarat and Bam; floods in Mumbai and Indonesia; Orissa cyclone and 9/11 World Trade Center attack.

PLAN OF ACTION
The victims of the disaster are in urgent need of emergency supplies, such as food, water, shelter, tents, cooking utensils, blankets, etc. A special team has been established which is making an assessment of short term needs and long term rehabilitation requirements. IAHV volunteers intend to build upon their existing relationships within the affected areas to bring short and long-term relief to those directly affected by the tsunami. IAHV is seeking additional partnerships with international humanitarian organizations and relief services that create synergies on the ground.

IDRF Appeal for Relief & Rehabilitation of Earthquake victims of South Asia

2005-10-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.idrf.org

URGENT Appeal for Relief & Rehabilitation of Earthquake victims of South Asia

INDIA DEVELOPMENT & RELIEF FUND (IDRF), INC.
[Tax exempt, non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization]

"..Relief & Rehabilitation of Earthquake victims of South Asia..."

More than 30,000 dead and thousands more injured (October 9, 2005)
Entire villages and towns flattened across India, Pakistan and Afghanistan
Balakot (Pakistan), Muzaffarabad (PoK, epicenter) are among the most affected

"My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this horrible tragedy,"
- said Bush

DONATIONS ARE REQUESTED FOR IMMEDIATE RELIEF & LONG-TERM REHABILITATION

IDRF will disburse funds raised to grass roots NGOs in Asia
with minimal overhead expenses
Contact:
Raju Datla
Phone: (978) 807-1864
Suresh Deopura
Phone: (510) 573-5100

Vijay Pallod
Phone: (281) 568-4995
or Email:
idrf@aol.com

Please make check payable to ‘IDRF’ (mention ‘South Asia Earthquake’ in the memo) and mail it to:

IDRF, 40 Orchard Street, Tewksbury, MA 01876

Donate online for South Asia Earthquake victims by More About PayPal®

IDRF is soliciting your tax-deductible contribution for the relief and rehabilitation of South Asia Earthquake victims. IDRF is of the largest US based Indian charities administered by volunteers without any honorarium or overhead. Thus, 100% of your contribution will be disbursed directly to the NGO. IDRF has raised more than $16 million US dollars for developmental projects and rehabilitation of victims from recent Tsunami disaster (2005), Orissa super cyclone (2000) and Gujarat Earthquake (2001). Please check out our website http://www.idrf.org for latest information

Art of Living Foundation started assessment of the earthquake in India-Pak

2005-10-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

http://www.iahv.org/

South Asia Earthquake (Pakistan & India)

New Delhi, Oct 8, 2006: International Association of Human Values (IAHV) and Art of Living Foundation (AOLF) have started assessment of the earthquake affected areas in Jammu & Kashmir and Pakistan. Volunteers of the foundation, including a team of doctors and trauma relief experts, are reaching the affected areas, where the two organisations will carry out extensive relief and rehabilitation work. The foundation will soon start trauma relief camps for the survivors, using its proven stress elimination techniques.

Volunteers of the foundation have acquired expertise in disaster management and trauma relief from their experiences in similar disasters in the past. The foundation conducted major relief operations in the aftermath of earthquakes in Gujarat and Iran; floods in Mumbai and Indonesia, South Asian tsunami and the recent Katrina Hurricane.

The two organisations express their sympathy to the families of those killed and the survivors of the earthquake.

Hindus in Houston and Throughout Texas Provide Relief

2005-10-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

Hindus of Greater Houston

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 25, 2005

Prepared by Beth Kulkarni. Contact for more information: Vijay at pallod@aol.com

Hindus in Houston and Throughout Texas Provide Relief

Houston, Texas. Putting their faith into action and making use of technology, Hindus from various organizations throughout the Houston area meet Thursday evening, not in person, but through audio conferencing.

First on the agenda was to pray together. And in the Hindu tradition, the prayer, led by Acharya Sonarao-ji of Arya Samaj, was not only for those who might be in the path of Hurricane Rita but for the entire universe. Following that, participants shared plans and the availability of shelter for those who might need it. Hindus of Greater Houston then, through emails and phone contacts, spread the information that might help those still looking for shelter

Keshav Smruti, southwest Houston office of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), announced space would be available for a number of families. Rama Rao and Meera Rao of Svyasa chosed to stay one night there. Manoj Agarwal of Shri RadhaKrishna Temple on Bellaire indicated that the temple would be open to those who needed shelter. The management committee of Arya Samaj of Greater Houston made available additional space. ASGH pledged full support in any crisis, natural or otherwise, to serve the community. VPSS, another temple in southwest Houston, opened its facility for evacuees or for needy people to stay and all facilities including food were provided. This facility was open for any one who needed it regardless of religion or nationality. A number of families did accept the hospitality of the temple.

Senior citizen Padmakant Mehta of Houston was pleased to receive a phone call asking him if he needed shelter. Due to the weakening of the storm in the Houston area, he and his wife Nita stayed at home, but were glad for the reassurance that help was available.

For those who had traveled out of Houston and found themselves without housing due to all hotels and motels already being fully occupied, Arun Sharma of HSS arranged with over 25 families in San Antonio and Dallas to provide shelter.

BAPS Care International already had centers in Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Bryan College Station and El Campo providing shelters to those affected by the recent hurricanes. In Houston, a number of families chose to stay at the temple, feeling safer than in their homes.

The Hindu Temple in Irving, Texas, opened its doors for Hurricane Rita evacuees Thursday night and its members and volunteers quickly gathered food, supplies, and other items to meet the needs of persons referred to the shelter by the Red Cross and other agencies. Over 200 people were accommodated by the temple. The voluntary services of local Hindu doctors was much appreciated by several individuals.

Barsana Dham, an ashram and temple in Austin, provided shelter to about 150 evacuees from Houston and surrounding areas during Hurricane Rita. Narendra Zamwar who stayed there with his family reported that “All the arrangements for the stay and food were very good. The temple atmosphere was very peaceful. Many children's activities were arranged including story telling, special movies, art contests, chalk drawings on floor, and water games. Evacuees could really get peace of mind after having driven for12 to 20 hours to cover the distance which normally takes three to four hours.”

In San Antonio, 40 homes were made available for those who needed a place to stay. HSS and Sewa International volunteers coordinated this service.

Sunday evening, September 25, 2005, some of the same community leaders that gathered on Thursday again joined a conference call to pray and review the actions taken by various community groups. Working together they were able to better serve the community.

Although Hurricane Rita did not cause as much damage as expected in the Greater Houston area, it was heartening to see the various Hindu organizations in Houston, Dallas area, Austin, and San Antonio helping to provide shelter and food to those who needed it.
Serving one’s fellow man is serving God according to Hindu thought and practice.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar meets Katrina victims

2005-09-29T07:55:00.000-07:00

September 29, 2005

Spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation Sri Sri Ravi Shankar visited Hurricane Katrina survivors, volunteers and public officials carrying out relief operation in Texas on September 27.

Sri Sri was invited by Austin Mayor Will Wynn to meet with survivors of Hurricane Katrina, where the Art of Living and its sister organisation International Association of Human Values are conducting trauma relief workshops.

"It is truly an honour for our community to host a greatly respected world leader such as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar," said Austin City Council Member Raul Alvarez.

"I always feel the world is a global family and during such disasters, we can learn from one another," Sri Sri said.

IAHV is organising a series of concerts in the US with Pandit Jasraj to support its trauma relief and rehabilitation initiatives. The concerts will be held between 1st and 23rd October in New Jersey, Houston, Atlanta and Bay Area.

In photo: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar speaks to victims of Hurricane Katrina at a temporary housing complex in Austin, Texas. (inset) Austin Mayor Will Wynn (left) and Austin City Council member Raul Alvarez with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

Hindu organisations help Katrina survivors

2005-09-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

Likn

The age-old Hindu tradition of service was very much evident in Houston when hundreds of volunteers from Hindu organizations took up the task of feeding Hurricane Katrina survivors in relief centres all over the country.

The relief operation gave a new purpose to the organizations which had so far been organizing only Hindu festivals and several volunteers said what they were doing would change their entire outlook.

Hundreds of volunteers from Hindu organizations donned yellow t-shirts identifying them as volunteers and worked three shifts during the weekened.

They included volunteers from the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) whose volunteers took care of the early morning shift and Sewa International which coordinated the volunteers for all three shifts.

Hasu D Patel and his fellow volunteers from Leva Patidar Samaj and Asian American Hotel Association too helped in relief efforts.

Well-known yoga instructor/practitioner Mallikarjun Shintri, 70, recalled volunteering years ago when Hurricane Camille
hit Mississippi in 1969.

"Whomever I met, these evacuees are very positive and never lost their hopes," commented Kirti Jain, who was volunteering alongside local people for the first time.

The programme, initiated by Houston city and Harris country, mobilizes local volunteers to provide personal touch of Houston hospitality to new neighbours, who have been displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Hindu Temple offers Temple premises for Hurricane Rita Evacuees

2005-09-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

DFW HINDU TEMPLE SOCIETY
EKTA MANDIR
1605 N. Britan Rd., Irving, TX 75061
www.dfwhindutemple.org 972-445-3111

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact: Sashi Kejriwal

972-333-5705

Irving, Texas September 24, 2005 - The Hindu Temple in Irving Texas,
opened its doors for Hurricane Rita evacuees Thursday night. Many agencies
like Red Cross, Texas 211, Texas Department of Public Safety were informed
about availability of its premises for use as shelter.

When emails went out to Temple devotees, offers of supplies and help
poured in, clogging the phone lines. Volunteers were busy redirecting calls
about offers of help to their personal cell phones, so that the main lines
could be left open for calls from evacuees and agencies calling to get latest
capacity information.

"It was heartwarming to see two kids jumping up and down in joy, just
because they could have a warm shower after being cramped in an ac-less
pickup for 24 hours", said one of the volunteers.

Doctors from the Hindu community were on call, and provided valuable
assistance to evacuees who were pregnant, had stomach aches, flu-like
symptoms, etc.

Calls poured in from agencies as far out as California, trying to
locate shelter for evacuees still on the road. Calls from Security company
employees, Corporations, Government agencies, other charities trying to
place evacuees was indicative of the enormous effort by the whole
community. Updated lists of shelters with available space were all over the
internet, and thanks to agencies maintaining those lists, it was
rather smooth to
find shelters for evacuees that reached a full shelter.

In all, about 200 people found shelter at the Hindu Temple. When asked
regarding his views about helping those in need, R.K.Panditi, a
volunteer, said "The Gita has said that this kind of charity, with no
expectation
in return, is the best kind". Gita is one of the main holy books of
Hinduism.

Dr. Jagannath Rao of the Hindu temple said "It was very encouraging to
see so many devotees that showed up to help. Some volunteers had to be
turned away." Manoj Parikh, President of the Temple said "Hindu temple is
open for shelter to all Americans, and we are happy to see evacuees from all
walks of life being served". For further information contact: Sashi Kejriwal
972-333-5705.

SEWA International lives up to its name

2005-09-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

HindustanTimes

As people and organisations come forward to contribute heartily to the rescue and rehabilitation efforts in Louisiana, Sewa International, a global Indian volunteer organisation is amongst the first to spearhead the Indian endeavour in the US in this regard.

Along with Hindus of Greater Houston, an umbrella organisation of Hindu temples and other tertiary organisations from Texas, Sewa USA is actively inspiring by action, efforts towards helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The organisation has already raised over $100,000 for Katrina relief. Already, scores of Sewa volunteers, many of whom are second generation Indians and their non-Indian friends and colleagues, have aligned themselves with the relief operations in any capacity that has been offered to them.

Sewa volunteers from across the nation tirelessly put together nearly 1000 hygiene packs comprising soaps, shampoos, among other things and delivered them to the Astrodome in Houston this Sunday.

Huge cartons filled with other necessities and amenities including personal care items are consistently being sent to the nucleus of this mission, Houston, Texas. Volunteers from the community are also doing their bit in providing all forms of assistance to students and others of Indian origin displaced by Katrina.

More importantly, as efforts began to materialize for the mammoth task of assisting those worst affected by the hurricane, many Indian Americans took it upon themselves to prepare and serve food to the hundreds displaced from New Orleans and other places and currently residing in neighbouring states of Texas and Georgia.

Others have spread the word by mobilising the community through awareness programs in temples and other leading Indian organisations across the US. Of the displaced evacuees, numbering nearly 150,000 in Houston alone, the Hindu community has taken upon itself to assist in providing food to the shelters for one day. 240 volunteers have been identified for this purpose.

As is the wont of our faith as a people in compassion and the equality of man, the community has risen to the credo of 'serve humanity, serve God' by being effectively involved in the local volunteer machinery everywhere, including Atlanta.

Indians have in fact, volunteered to go beyond immediate relief by identifying and implementing long term strategic needs in concord with the government and local administrative bodies.

In order to maximise the aid efforts Sewa has aligned itself with the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), another reputed volunteer organisation with 90 branches spread all over the country. Together, they are striving to find, assess and assist with alternative accommodation, families that have been staying in motels so far.

A worthy parallel to this aid work is the fact that many Indians from Atlanta and Texas have registered as volunteers with the American Red Cross. At the behest of the ARC, Sewa members put together and delivered several supplies including more than 700 sandwiches within three hours to the organisation for immediate distribution among people waiting in lines.

By mobilising the community and ensuring speedy service to the evacuees in need, Sewa has lived upto its motto- Vasudhaika Kutumbakam that translates to 'the whole world is one family'. More than that, Indian Americans have rendered themselves invaluable to the scores they have helped by way of much needed supplies and service.

It is the community, the people who have made the difference in adhering to time-tested and revered values of service to humanity without disparity. It may be the least that can be done for those whose lives are saved, but forever impaired. But, it is this zealous service that is the difference between despair and death and evacuation and survival.

As hurricane Katrina smashed to smithereens remnants of a vivid New Orleans civilization over the last couple of days, Atlanta rose in strength to help those affected by this latest manifestation of nature's ire with all it could muster.

The ordeal undergone by countless men, women and children struck by Katrina is even more horrific given the state of mayhem that has clouded hope for those worst affected by the hurricane. The state machinery, despite its zeal has fared poorly in implementing relief and rescue strategy.

Amid offers of support that are pouring in from all over the world, India, who has herself undergone the wrath of Tsunami and the Maharashtra floods more recently, stands tall. Indians in Atlanta too have joined the fraternity in pledging support for the needy.

With Louisiana's prime seat being declared a ghost town of no soul or substance, neighbouring states including Georgia have come forward with whatever they have at their disposal to enable speedy resettlement for evacuees of whom more than 42,000 people left the city. Reportedly, at least 1,000 Katrina evacuees are in Georgia shelters. Officials have taken measures within their jurisdiction by opening up airbases as Cobb County's Dobbins Air Reserve Base near Marietta to them. Temporary food and housing is being made available to those displaced and suffering.

People suffering from growing maladies as dysentery and vomiting in Mississippi have been bused to Georgia. In Georgia's hospitals, such as Atlanta's Grady, emergency medical aid has proven to be effective and timely. Public schools in Atlanta are doing their bit in resettling kids into normalcy or a semblance thereof. Many have waived off mandatory provisos as birth certificates, academic transcripts etc. They are also giving out school packs, books and other stationery to children that have enrolled over the past few days as a result of relocation.

TV channels and leading news agencies are full of stories of people moving out of the disaster struck areas in much hurry. These people, most of who are setting up temporary new homes in the Southeast, are ill prepared for the burden of their days ahead. Most of the families that fled in haste took only that which they could lay their hands on easily -- shoes, clothes, toys for their kids, limited supplies of food and water.

They expect, even now to be 'back home' in a month. That's the least it's going to take for rudimentary revival, they have been told by officials. Given the state of affairs in New Orleans, they may well be chasing an elusive dream. It is to these people that Atlanta's community of Indians, Hispanics, and others have pledged support in the form of therapy, shelter, employment, even baby clothes, cribs and cots.

In the wake of the disastrous conditions prevailing in the rescue shelters as regards basic amenities such as food, water and clothing, Atlanta's citizens have generously opened up their hearts and homes to families displaced by the calamity. Innumerable bulletin boards on the net and calls connecting people through chains of acquaintances have paved the way for what could easily be one of the most effective disaster management and rehabilitation programs.

For evacuees form Louisiana and Mississippi, this is just the beginning of uncertainty and despair. They have no address, no money, no food, and no livelihood. For most of them the number plate on their car is their only proof of identity. For them to be greeted by strangers with as much warmth is therefore, overwhelming.

The effort of the community in Atlanta ought to be lauded for its eager help.

Aso Visit :
www.sewausa.org/

www.sewainternational.com/

Amrita Ashram to provide $1 million for Katrina relief

2005-09-23T17:52:00.000-07:00

PTI

September 24, 2005 01:35 IST
Rediff On The Net
http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/
sep/24mata.htm?q=np&file=.htm

Mata Amritanandamayi Centre in America would be donating $1 million
in aid to help victims of Hurricane Katrina that devastated New
Orleans, Louisiana and coastal areas of Mississippi and Albama.

Amritanandamayi told reporters in Kollam, Kerala that the Math had
a number of centres in the United States, including one at
California.

There were also 200 'Satsang Samhitis' throughout the US comprising
supportive devotee volunteers.

Soon after the hurricane struck, Amritanandamayi had sent the head
of the centre in California, Bramhachari Dayamitra Chaitanya, to
the affected areas to assess the best ways for organisation to help
hurricane victims.

The main areas in which the Mata Amritanandamayi Centre there had
extended help were through provision of food, clothing and school
supplies as well as providing emotional support, the Mata said.

IAHV-AOL work in Austin

2005-09-21T17:59:00.000-07:00

I came across this video of the coverage of the great work that IAHV-AOL is doing in Austin for Katrina victims.

---
Fox News coverage of IAHV's work in Austin for young children of the Katrina hurricane victims.
http://www.iahv.org/disaster/
FoxNews2005-small.wmv

HSS and Sewa International relief work covered by media

2005-09-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

Source: Indo Link

Sewa Intnl's tie up with IIT alumni !
Source: Hindustan Times

"SEWA (International) lives up to its name "

Source: Inside Bay Area

Fremont resident and volunteer Gaurang Desai said Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh and Sewa International, two Hindu organizations, are collecting donations of money, canned foods, cookies and crackers, plus sending volunteers to Houston to serve in local shelters and assist the Red Cross

Source: Rediff

In addition, various other organisations throughout the US have risen to this occasion. Sewa International USA and Hindus of Greater Houston are also coordinating volunteer services with the Hindu temples, and Indian-American organisations.

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh has urged all Hindus in America to rise to the occasion and has appealed its hundreds of volunteers in all 90 chapters of HSS to help through collecting donations, canned foods, cookies, crackers, medical supplies and blankets.

India Development & Relief Fund volunteers in Baton Rouge, LA, are working with American Red Cross and local voluntary organisations to assist in relief efforts.

SOURCE: Rediff

Hemendra Pal, a volunteer with Sewa International USA (a service project
of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh) spent Labour Day afternoon at the Second Baptist Church in Woodway, Houston, undergoing training lessons to serve food to people displaced by Katrina.

We have requested each Indian organization to take up the type of work they are already doing," Kannappan says, examples being the Indo-American Charity Foundation that is an umbrella body for collecting donations from the desi community, and Sewa International that is doing volunteer coordination

Last week Shah, a financial adviser with investment bankers Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and the secretary of Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA (a charitable organisation committed to eradicating illiteracy in India), was among 20 volunteers who spent six hours at the Astrodome sorting used and new clothes to be given to the evacuees.

The next day, the volunteers, most of whom work with Sewa International, handed bottled water to a fresh batch of people arriving from Louisiana at the George Brown Center. They accompanied men and women to restrooms, passed out toothbrushes, and ran errands. Monday evening, they were back at the Astrodome, folding clothes.

The long weekend over, Shah was back at work, but hopes to volunteer on weekdays from 8 pm till midnight. "I happen to be here. I am inspired by the people who are coming from New York and as far as California to serve."

His daughter Sonal Shah, co-founder of Indicorps and India Abroad Person of the Year 2003, was among many pouring in from various parts of the country to help in any way they can; she arrived in Houston from New York Friday night, with two of her friends from Philadelphia.

The scene at the Astrodome, where about 3,000 volunteers were serving last week, was overwhelming. "It is a big stadium with the centre full of cots," Shah senior says.

According to Shah, unlike the reported chaos of the New Orleans Superdome, this one was crowded but clean, and food and water were available in plenty. Things became more orderly when the clothes were laid out on hangers like in big stores. The evacuees could take, without needing to ask, what they needed. There was police presence only at the entrance.

Shah says he found mostly African-American evacuees at both shelters; a few Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese-speaking people were present at the George Brown Center. "We could not find any Indians," he says.

One would expect the evacuees to be angry and excited, but they were instead calm and appreciative, Shah said. Some were still sleeping.

Volunteerism may be a novel experience for first-generation South Asians, but the younger generations in America are clued in to this mindset. Like among those helping the evacuees was Anjali Desai, who has spent the last two years in India volunteering for Indicorps and for the NGO Manav Sadhna, at the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad in Gujarat. Desai, who just returned from India and has some time on her hands, attended the 75-minute training.

SEVA INTERNATIONAL : HELPING HANDS FOR KATRINA VICTIMS - Atlanta

2005-09-14T16:58:00.000-07:00

Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 14, 2005

Contact for further information:

Gaurav Verma – 678-462-6203
gaurav_verma22@yahoo.com

HELPING HANDS FOR KATRINA VICTIMS - Atlanta

Atlanta volunteers from Sewa International-USA, an organization mobilizing many community service volunteers, and alumni of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) have come together to assist families who have been relocated to Atlanta following :Hurricane Katrina..

Thousands of families who have been evacuated from Louisiana and Mississippi and are currently living in hotels, American Red Cross shelters, or churches or staying with friends and families flocked to the Georgia Convention Center on September 11, 2005. Sewa Atlanta chapter coordinator Gaurav set up an information table with the help of volunteers Suja and Meghna. They and other volunteers talked to more than 60 families and noted down their contact information and their needs such as housing and jobs. It was an enlightening experience for all, meeting the affected individuals face-to-face and hearing details of the difficult circumstances of our fellow citizens.

As a result of their research, volunteers were able to put many of those families in touch with the Dalton Red Cross shelter, which had been underutilized although it offered both housing and job search assistance. Ramji Ramchandran of IIT Alumni coordinated phone calls with Dalton Red Cross and the effected families.

Volunteers also assisted Dan, sales manager of a gaming company in New Orleans, who after being required to evacuate, had an auto accident and needed to complete his trip to Atlanta by Greyhound bus. Dan was extremely appreciative of the volunteers who helped him with meals, local transportation and hotel reservations until he could be picked up two days later by a sister from Tennessee.

Volunteers also pooled their frequent flier miles to provide transportation from Houston for the daughter of a lady whose evacuated daughter they had helped locate.

The key contribution of these volunteers has been in bringing together available resources to the needy in a timely, compassionate way. There are many from Indian community who offered help including Shiv Agrawal, businessman and philanthropist, who has offered three months free accommodation for 25 students. Sewa volunteers were able to send some of the student victims to this housing. Jay Kumar Patel, community leader and a leading hotelier, has offered 20 rooms for families displaced by Katrina, in addition to help in getting jobs in Gainsville, Georgia. Another businessman, Manoj, has offered 10-15 jobs in his restaurants. Shree Shakti Mandir, a Hindu temple in south Atlanta, is providing free hot vegetarian meals during lunch and dinner for any evacuee. Mr. M.A. Patel of the temple said, ‘it is our duty to offer this help to people in need’. All five HSS Balagokulams, in association with Shiv Mandir and ICRC temple, have been collecting food items, baby food, and other articles to distribute in shelters. Satya Sai group of Atlanta, a spiritual group, has prepared 100 packets of personal items and provided 25 blankets. They were distributed by Sewa volunteers. The IIT alumni group has offered tutoring services for the hurricane victims.

There are still thousands of hurricane victims in the Atlanta area needing help. The relief agencies need many more volunteers immediately. If you are interested in volunteering to help the Katrina victims, please contact SEWA coordinator Gaurav Verma at 678-462-6203. For more information, visit: www.sewausa.org

Indian Americans open wallets, expertise for Katrina victims

2005-09-08T19:18:00.000-07:00

http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/
sep/08katrina.htm?q=np&file=.htm

Indian Americans open wallets, expertise for Katrina victims

Seema Hakhu Kachru in Houston |
September 08, 2005 22:08 IST

The Indian-American community in Houston and across the United States has not only opened its homes, hearts and wallets, but also expertise for the victims of hurricane Katrina rendered homeless after it inflicted largescale devastation along the Gulf Coast.

About 38 Indo-American associations in Houston are working together through Indo-American Charities Foundation and have decided to raise US$ 1 million for food, volunteers, medical aid, health, shelter, hotel rooms, temporary jobs,medical assistance, computer assistance and hygiene products.

"We have asked everyone to pitch forward generously and chip in to meet the challenge and make a difference. The immediate goal is to raise US$ 150,000 before September 19 and the amount so raised will go towards feeding 25,000 people, three meals for a whole day," IACF president Sheela Rao said.

There has been an outpouring of generosity and concern from the people and "I am sure we will meet this goal," she said.

IACF, whose goal is to help the poor, the homeless, underprivileged, and the needy with monetary, in kind and volunteer contributions through established Houston area charitable organisations, raised and distributed US$ 27,000 to various charities in the US and in India during tsunami relief efforts.

The Asian American Hotel Owners association has donated US$ 100,000 toward the relief efforts through the American Red Cross and other initiatives.

Several Indian doctors have offered their services for this cause through the Indian Doctors Association working with the Harris County Medical Society.

"It's amazing that in times like this all our doctors poured their heart and time out to help our community. Some even canceled their schedules just to help the needy victims," said Dr Rakesh Mangal, president of IDA.

Various computer professionals are assisting to set up Astrodome Community Technology Center, which enables people to register themselves and help find their kin online.

In addition, various other organisations throughout the US have risen to this occasion. Sewa International USA and Hindus of Greater Houston are also coordinating volunteer services with the Hindu temples, and Indian-American organisations.

Besides, BAPS is also distributing emergency supplies of toiletries, medicines, cooking utensils, disposable kitchenware items (plates, knives and spatulas), and over 15 grocery items including milk, biscuits, sugar, salt and cooking oil.

The Federation of Indian Associations, an umbrella body of Indian-American organisations based in the tri-state area, announced the setting up of a special Katrina Fund to help the victims.

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh has urged all Hindus in America to rise to the occasion and has appealed its hundreds of volunteers in all 90 chapters of HSS to help through collecting donations, canned foods, cookies, crackers, medical supplies and blankets.

India Development & Relief Fund volunteers in Baton Rouge, LA, are working with American Red Cross and local voluntary organisations to assist in relief efforts.

PRESS RELEASE : Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh

2005-09-05T12:26:00.000-07:00

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA, Inc.
Southwest Region • Houston Chapter
8731 RockyValley Drive • Houston, Texas77083
www.hssus.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SUBJECT: KATRINA RELIEF REPORT
DATE: SEPTEMBER 5, 2005

The Houston Chapter of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA, Inc. (“HSS”), continues to work toward assisting evacuees affected by Hurricane Katrina.With its citywide presence, HSS has been able to offer support to several shelters located away from the Astrodome.

HSS branches in Clear Lake, Pearland, and Katy have contributed supplies and volunteers to shelters there. Notably, four volunteer physicians in the Pearland branch have had the opportunity to provide Katrina evacuees with medical care. Similarly, the Katy branch has even suggested leading yoga classes for the adults and play activities for the children. All these branches will also be providing volunteers on a recurring basis for the next several days.

Additionally, HSS branches in Baytown and Spring have collected supplies to contribute to shelters in their communities and will contribute volunteers as well as opportunities become available.HSS has also contributed to the Astrodome shelter as well, with both volunteers and supplies. To this end, HSS made a significant donation of 2,000 personal care kits, assembled with help of over 20 volunteers.
As long as evacuees will be housed in area shelters, the Houston Chapter of HSS will continue to provide support.

CONTACT: AMIT K. MISRA

CHAPTER SECRETARY
V: (832) 723-4776
F: (832) 476-9656
E: amitkmisra@hotmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Houston Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh Daily updates:

We delivered a batch of supply (duffle bags/umbrella/socks/alarm clocks/some womens cosmetics) today evening to the Katy shelter.

They informed today that besides these items, they have some urgent need for 15-20 blankets (used or new). They are out of all the blankets as of now.

We shall be calling them tomorrow morning to find out about their other requirements.

Report from San Antonio, TX, Sewa International + HSS with Redcross

2005-09-05T12:19:00.000-07:00

Report recieved following rom San Antonio.

San Antonio city has housed more than 25000 Kathrina Victims. September 3rd and 4th our volunteers have swung into action to help the victims. All volunteers are registered as a red cross volunteer, an official agency giving relief to the victims. We have noticed acute medicines shortages, food shortages and blanket/Pillow shortages during the first day. Infact more than 3000 victims could not be provided food in a timely fashion.

Food Inchage of Red cross Peter requested us to provide 500+ sandwiches on a emergency basis. 22 of our sewa volunteers(most of them are from TCS software engineers) immediately came to our help. In 3 hours we have procured all supplies, made sanwiches and delivered to Red cross and it was distributed in 20 minutes for the people waiting in the line.

Photos are provided for our records.

TCS has agreed to give upto 10 volunteers a day in San Antonio for the sewa services to Kathrina victims. We were the only non-americans providing help in this relief camp and it was very much appreciated by the local red cross.

Next Step
We are mobilizing the local Indian doctors group with AAPI's help to provide the continuous relief to these victims. Dr.Vijay Koli, National President AAPI, Dr.Jayesh Shah and Dr.Venkat Srinivasan are in the forefront in giving these services. Dr.Malathi Koli has started the counselling services to the victims.

The whole Indian community has been mobilized with the Hindu Temple of San ANtonio's help to give the relief to these victims on a continuous basis for next few months.

Venkat

Pictures of Sewa International in action in Houston

2005-09-04T16:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Sewa Internationa's help.Over 2000 packets of toopaste, soap and other personal items were distributed at Reliant Center in Houston.

For information about sewa international http://www.sewaUSA.org

How to get help to those hurt by Hurricane Katrina

2005-09-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

Attached is an information note for wide dissemination through the
media.

Hurricane Katrina is an extraordinary disaster that has affected many
people in
America.

In hindu tradition, seva is the highest dharma, paramodharmah. The
attached info. on helping those hurt has to be widely circulated.
Three contacts are mentioned therein: American Red Cross, HSS, IDRF.

Kalyanaraman

How to get help to those hurt by Hurricane Katrina

India Development and Relief Fund

The IDRF operates on the simple principle that "Service to Humanity is
Service to God". In 1999, IDRF was effective in helping us get
assistance to the families of Indian soldiers who died in protecting
India from global terrorism in the snowy heights of Kargil. In 2001,
IDRF sent $25000 to the families of New York firefighters who died
trying to save the victims in the World Trade Center terrorist attack.
Known for quiet effectiveness, both in swift emergency response and
long-term support for grassroots reconstruction projects that empower
the local people, IDRF provided the means for Indian-Americans to
deliver effective relief and rehabilitation following such
mega-disasters as the Orissa Cyclone, the Gujarat earthquake, and t
organization's tsunami relief efforts from Dec.26, 2004 onwards, are
seen at this page. Now they are collecting funds to help neighbors hit
by the hurricane and flooding in Louisiana and Mississippi.

From
http://www.idrf.org/

"Our volunteers in Baton Rouge, LA are working with American Red Cross
and local voluntary organizations to assist in providing relief
efforts. There is a need for long term rehabilitation and all your
contributions will be directed to the grass roots organizations."
Contacts:
Suresh Deopura
suresh@dewsoftware.com, Vijay Pallod pallod@aol.com, Raghu Verabelli
idrfboston@yahoo.com, Babulal Gupta Idrf_blg@yahoo.com

HSS Relief Activities:
One of the organizations that IDRF uses in India to deliver reliable,
effective support to the grassroots is Sewa International. Sewa can
also be reached through the HSS. From their Press Release:

The Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh has designated Amit Misra,
amitmisra@sbcglobal.net as contact for relief activities.
All 90 chapters of HSS in the US are helping through collecting
donations, canned foods, cookies, crackers, bottled water, juices,
medical supplies and blankets. HSS requests all monetary contributions
directed to Sewa International or American Red Cross. Dozens of
volunteers from Houston, including children attending several
Balagokulams, have already started the collection. The HSS office at
Keshav Smrithi, 4018 Westhollow Pkwy, Houston, TX 77082 has been
designated as the contact point for all relief efforts.

HSS is working with authorities in Houston in meeting the immediate
needs of the displaced people arriving from New Orleans. The
government officials and American Red Cross have opened various
shelters in Houston. HSS volunteers will serve in these local Red
Cross shelters in Houston and other area. Volunteers are also
coordinating with other shelters and motels, which have become
temporary homes for victims. Volunteers are also contacting
physicians, asking them to contribute their time and medical supplies
and businesses to provide material help.
Contact
Sharad Amin to join the relief activities
sharad_a_049@yahoo.com

American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org/
"The American Red Cross, with support of the worldwide Red Cross and
Red Crescent Movement, is launching a Web site and hotline to help
assist family members who are seeking news about loved ones living in
the path of Hurricane Katrina."
Various contact and volunteer participation mechanisms are given on
the Red Cross website. One of the resources they operate is the
Family News Network of the International Committee of the Red Cross
http://www.familylinks.icrc.org/katrina

Here are some suggestions from their site, valid for all disasters:
Volunteers coming in contact with the survivors should especially help
the survivors in this:
"With widespread power and communications outages and roads under
water, it's important to go back to communication basics to ensure
that your family and friends know you are safe:
•Call an out of town contact to let them know you are safe.
•Ask them to spread the word to your family and friends.
•Make sure your contact lives far enough away that they are not
affected by the same storm.
•Rest assured that emergency responders are working as quickly as
possible and are doing all that they can to help those affected.
•Remember that storms mean power outages and downed phone lines.
Please keep trying and be patient.
•Phone lines are often overwhelmed after a disaster. Try sending an
email if you can—sometimes email works when phones don't."

"American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by
voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You
can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each
year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster
Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food,
counseling and other assistance to those in need. Call 1-800-HELP NOW
or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Donations are also being accepted at
Coinstar machines at select grocery stores across America. To find the
nearest Coinstar machine, visit www.coinstar.com. Contributions to the
Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross
chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC
20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by
visiting www.redcross.org."

RSS workduring floods in Mumbai and rest of Maharashtra

2005-09-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

-RSS JANAKALYAN SAMITI -

Help provided by volunteers for first 8 days after the 26th July deluge

to flood devastated people of Mumbai and Kokan Region

Mumbai

1. Help & guidance Centres : 22

2. Hamlets : 76

3. Helped Families : 80,000 people of 17,000 families

3. Cleaning & Conserving : 35 Dumper Garbage cleaning.

22 hamlets - Cleaning / fumigation and water purification

4. Emergency Housing : For 2 days - 10 places

For 6 days - 6 places

5. Distribution of Grains : 20 tonnes

6. Supply of plastic sheets: 400 families

7. Mats & Bedsheets : 2000 people

8. Medical Help : Medicare centers for 5 days - one

For 4 days - one

Medical camps - 8

‘Chlorovat’ for water purification – 3,000 bottles (1 per Family)

9. Food Supply : 2000 people for 5 days

Biscuit Packets - 1 gross Bread - 4,000 loafs

Tea & Sugar - 135 kg. Milk - 4,000 Litre

10.Volunteers : 1,200 Volunteers

11. Other Highlights :

• Removal of debris, boulders & muck at Sakinaka land slide site

• Similar removal of debris at Mandala (Chembur), B.A.R.C. Labour colony.

• Safe passage provided to 250 commuters from Ghatkopar to Thane by Vikroli Nagar Secretary from his own vehicle.

• Providing boarding & lodging in Swayamsevaks own houses for 500 people of Prabodhan Nagar & Unnatnagar whose houses had submerged.

• Provision of boarding & lodging for 200 people belonging to Aappa Pada-Malad by Harishchandra Yadav, Nagar Sanghchalak at his factory and at his house both of which had submerged in the flood.

• 10 families of Mahakali Shantinagar were looked after at swayamsevak’s residence.

Thane, Raigad & Ratnagiri Region

1. Help Centres : 31

2. Villages provided

with help : 135 villages, 34 hamlets & 13,152 families.

3. Food Supply : 77,250 people for 2 to 3 days.

Food packets for 600 travellers of ‘Mangala Express’.

4. Distribution of Grains : Grains - 25 tonnes Oil - 2,000 kg.

5. Mats & Bedsheets : 6800 people

6. Clothing : 17,000 people

7. Utensil Kits : For 2,000 families

8. Cleaning & Conserving : Cleaning & fumigation at Thane, Kalyan, Dombivali & Chiplun.

14 Truck load of Garbage.

45 volunteers Cleaned & sweeped the mud filled Mahad Market area Chiplun

areas for 3 days.

9. Medical Help : 26 villages – 11,650 people

17 doctors worked for 2 to 3 days non-stop

Water purification – 8,000 bottles of ‘Chlorovat’

10. No. of Volunteers : 1,315

11. Other Highlights :

• Help to Govt. surveys at Kalyan, Dombivali

• Rajaram Patil, Sangh Swayamsevak single handedly saved many women and children from

Kalyan (East) Chawl & provided succour at his own residence.

• Cremation of 30 bodies at the request of Kalyan-Dombivali Police by volunteers.

• Opening of fair price shop at Titwala to overcome price hikes by local shopkeepers.

• At Ulhasnagar, Taluka Secretary though not knowing swimming saved a woman and her two

children from 8 ft. deep gorge.

• At Badlapur 65 people were saved from watery grave who were drifting in a flood current.

• At Dudhani landslide Matheran hill local volunteers climbed by rapling with the help of

‘Nisarg Mantri Mandal' & gave initial help.

• At Veldur Tal. Guhagar – Two Muslim Fishermen Societies brought 130 family kits consisting of utensils, mats, bedsheets to RSS Office. They requested that the distribution of these material should be undertaken by Sangh workers only. The first 10 families were given these kits in their presence. The workers of the fisherman societies offered further help whenever necessary.

• At Chiplun the Sangh Office was converted in to a Control Centre. The govt. officers and municipal employees were directing all those requiring help to this office saying that, if you require urgent help, contact Sangh Office.

--------------------

Maharashtra Flood Relief
1)The relief work started on 27th July itself, when many of our volunteers joined local residents in distributing bananas, tea, biscuits, water etc at many points in the city to people who were stranded in vehicles on the road.

2)Subsequentely, since 30th July we are distributing appx 12,000 food packets per day, in addition to clothes,utensils, food grains etc(appx. 15,000 packets) and arranged medical camps covering over 5000 people in Kalva,Kalina,Dharavi and Dombivli.

3)We have set up a community kitchen at Kalva for which the Maharashtra Government has given two tons of food grains. Food is cooked at a central place and distributed to appx 1200 families everyday and this will continue till 11th August.

4)In Mahad(Konkan region) community kitchen was set up in which appx. 7000 people were fed every day for 6 days. Clothes, utnensils, stoves, blankets etc were also distributed to over 1000 families. Trauma relief camps have commenced.
5)In Sangli and Kolhapur our volunteers hace covered 50 villages and arranged for distribution of clothes, utensils and other items.

6)The Government of Maharashtra has appointed us as the nodal agency for distribution of aid in Kalina, Kalva and Dharavi.

7) Shri S .N. Tripathi,(IAS) Chairman of Finance Commission, who is heading ther relief committee complimented all our volunteers based on the good reports he got.

7)Our next phase of action includes post-truama relief sessions in all affected areas.

8) Medical camps were conducted in Shivajinagar at the Kalwe East railway station.

9) On August 5th, food was distributed to more than 1000 people in Mahatme-Pule (Khadi area)

10) On July 31st 600 packets of Puri-Baji was distributed. One truck load of clothes collected by volunteers was distributed

11) On July 30th, 70kgs of pulav (rice and lentil) was prepared and distributed in Mahatma-phule

Gujarat Flood Relief

Report from Surat

Our volunteer's are vigioursly working for hours together to make food packets and distribution. Our volunteers is very appreciated by Chamber of commerce and other NGO's in surat.

- For first 3 days more then 25000 food packets including poori and sabzi(vegetable dish) are delivered to 15 - 17 affected areas.

- 47000 food packets and 2,50,000 water pouches were delivered out of which around 30000 foodpackets and 50000 water pouches were delivered to the affected areas nearby baroda.

- Looking at the increase in the affected number of slums and villages Chamber of Surat called for a meeting wherin our institute was the first one to reach inspite of a short span of information and looking at the strong network, distribution and collection of things chamber authorities were highly impressed.

- And the very next day Surat Collecter as well as Gujarat Supply minister (Narrotambhai Patel), called for NGO Meeting wherin they had 2 options either to suffice the requirement of 1 lakh food packets and water pouches and the other one was to adopt 15 affacted areas where NGO's had to take up the responsibilites.

- They gave the responsibilites of 5 villages, Una, Kharvasa, Sachin, Parvat and Khumbaria, (wherein Una is the worst affacted area) to Art of Living and IAHV. for another 3 months, which was fullfiled to the fullest which included medical camps, sanitation, cleanliness.and we also included Navchetna shibir so since last 1 week our team is vigiouresly working upon it.

- Our NGO sent 1,05,000 water pouches and 25,000 food packets to collecter office for surrounding areas of Baroda

-Around 1800 people have undertaken the medical camp facilites and every day 3 - 4 medical camps are working constantly. Also the sanitation work is going on properly.

- AOL got Award from the five major groups of surat (Terapanth yuvak parishat, Agarwal Vikas Trust, Mohanlal Jhahu public charitable trust, Surat jilla vysya maha sanmelan) stating Sewa Sanman (Respect to service).

- Even Surat FM was impressed by our work on the word of chamber of commerce president and they published our 10 mins interview.

Sewa International to Help Katrina Victims

2005-09-03T06:10:00.000-07:00

Sewa International, Inc.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 1, 2005

Contact for further information: Srikanth Konda, srikonda@yahoo.com,
678-362-7480.

Sewa International to Help Katrina Victims

Sewa International, a charitable organization, expresses deep anguish
and sorrow at the loss and disruption of life and the property damage
caused by hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
This is truly "one of the worst natural disaster in our nation's
history" as stated by President Bush.

Sewa volunteers in Texas and Louisiana have begun working with
American Red Cross and other organizations to provide immediate
relief. Sewa International is also identifying the long-term needs of
the people and will be working with governments of Louisiana and
Mississippi to meet those needs.

Sewa International urges individuals, companies and organizations to
donate in order to provide assistance to those who have suffered from
Katrina. All
donations will be used to sponsor projects such as providing materials
and building (or rebuilding) homes. Volunteers will be visiting New
Orleans shortly to meet with local authorities to identify the
specific projects to be undertaken.

Sewa International, Inc., is a not-for-profit, non-religious,
non-political and tax-exempt charitable organization under 501(c) (3)
with Tax ID # 20-0638718. It has over 25 years of experience in relief
and rehabilitation work in 15 different
countries. Following the recent Tsunami disaster, Sewa USA was
involved in construction of villages in Tamil Nadu, India and in Sri
Lanka. Sewa USA is run
by dedicated volunteers and has an administrative overhead of less than 4%.

Donations can be made online at www.sewausa.org. Checks can be mailed
to Sewa International USA, P.O. Box 2376, Duluth, GA 30096. Any amount
will be
appreciated.

For more information, please contact national coordinator Srikanth
Konda at srikonda@yahoo.com or 678-362-7480 or local coordinators,
Dhiraj Rathi at
dhiraj_rathi@yahoo.com or 713-384-0068 or Venkat Subramaniam at 512-689-3256.

For more information please see the website at www.sewausa.org.

Katrina tragedy and hindu community response

2005-09-02T17:45:00.000-07:00

I feel proud to be a hindu today. The magnificent, spontaneous response of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) by organizing to perform the seva work makes me cry that there is still humanity left, amidst the horrendous reports coming out in the media. I feel proud to be a hindu today.

I feel proud to be a hindu today because such response is what sanaatana dharma (eternal dharma) is all about. Dharma is an ordering principle. When a community is in such dire straits, it is human responsibility not only to offer solace to the victims of the Katrina natural disaster but to reach ou to each of the victims to give them hope that there are people, their brothers and sisters who will not allow any natural disaster to overwhelm dharma. I feel proud to be a hindu today.

I feel proud to be a hindu today because there are heroes in America, heroes like Amit Misra, Sharad Amin and Khanderao Khand and hundreds of other swayamsevaks (volunteers of their own volition) who have answered the cries of anguish of the victims of Katrina with spontaneous, cultured responses to mitigate the suffering of the victims, in this hour of need. Relief activities of this kind are referred to as seva in the languages of Bharatam, that is India. The sanaatana dharma has enjoined on us a simple, but powerful doctrine : jana seva, narayana seva. Rendering service to the people is rendering service to narayana, the paramaatman. This is the purest form of yoga where every aatman seeks out the paramaatman through seva. This seeking out is yoga. How to define culture? It is, simply, an automatic pattern of good behavior. The Bhagavadgita, the song celestial notes: karmanyevaadhikaaraste maa phaleshu kadaacana; 'Dispassionate Duty is your responsibility, not ever yearning for fruits of your actions.' This is dharma in action. This is what Andre Gide said in French: l'acte gratuite, unmotivated action. This is what is seen in the actions of HSS. I feel proud to be a hindu today.

I feel proud to be a hindu today. There is hope for humanity. So long as there are men and women like Amit Misra, Sharad Amin, Khanderao Khand and hundreds of other swayamsevaks to reach out with a helping hand, there is integral humanity which overcome all odds. A friend in need, is a friend indeed. I feel proud to be a hindu today as I and all members of my family offer prayers for America, with tears in our eyes. May dharma protect America. The saying is: dharmo rakshati rakshitah. Dharma protects those who protect dharma.

Dhanyavaadah (Salutations in humility).

Kalyanaraman

HSS Serving Katrina Victims

2005-09-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 2, 2005

Media Contact for further information about HSS relief activities:

Amit Misra, 832 723 4776, amitmisra@sbcglobal.net

HSS Serving Katrina Victims

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) expresses heartfelt sympathy for the
victims of hurricane Katrina, one of the worst natural disasters in
the USA. HSS urges all Hindus in America to rise to the occasion by
addressing needs of the people suffered by hurricane Katrina.

HSS has appealed its hundreds of volunteers in all 90 chapters of HSS
to help through collecting donations, canned foods, cookies, crackers,
bottled water, juices, medical supplies and blankets. HSS requests all
monetary contributions directed to Sewa International or American Red
Cross. Dozens of volunteers from Houston, including children attending
several Balagokulams, have already started the collection. The HSS
office at Keshav Smrithi, 4018 Westhollow Pkwy, Houston, TX 77082 has
been designated as the contact point for all relief efforts.

HSS is working with authorities in Houston in meeting the immediate
needs of the displaced people arriving from New Orleans. The
government officials and American Red Cross have opened various
shelters in Houston. HSS volunteers will serve in these local Red
Cross shelters in Houston and other area. Volunteers are also
coordinating with other shelters and motels, which have become
temporary homes for victims. Volunteers are also contacting
physicians, asking them to contribute their time and medical supplies
and businesses to provide material help.

Name
Purpose
Email
Phone

Amit Misra
Media Contact for Relief Coordination
amitmisra@sbcglobal.net
832 723 4776

Sharad Amin
To join the relief activities
sharad_a_049@yahoo.com
281 762 3178

Khanderao Kand
About HSS
sampark@hssworld.org
408 368 2709

Sewa International UK Team : Short Videos & a Presentation

2005-05-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

Please find below links to various Short Videos & a Presentation regarding the work done by Sewa International UK for both the Tsunami Appeal and the Gujarat Earthquake Appeal.

We hope that you take a few minutes to view the videos in order to see exactly the types of rehabilitation projects that have been completed from funds collected in the United Kingdom.

Please forward to all on your email contact lists.

Best regards

Sewa International UK Team

1. Video: Sewa International UK's Tsunami Earthquake Appeal

http://www.sewainternational.com/video/Tsunmai_Appeal.wmv

2. Video: Sewa International UK's Gujarat Earthquake Rehabilitation Projects

http://www.sewainternational.com/video/India%20EarthQuake%20Appeal.wmv

3. Video: BBC News Coverage of Sewa International UK's Gujarat
Earthquake Rehabilitation Projects

http://www.sewainternational.com/video/BBC%20East%20Midlands.wmv

4. PowerPoint Presentation: Sewa International UK's Tsunami Earthquake Appeal

http://www.sewainternational.com/download/Sewa%20Presentation%202005.pdf

5. Video: UK Delegation's visit to see Gujarat Earthquake
Rehabilitation Projects funded by people of the UK (Part 1)

http://www.sewainternational.com/video/UK%20Deligation%20Part%201.wmv

Video: UK Delegation's visit to see Gujarat Earthquake Rehabilitation
Projects funded by people of the UK (Part 2)

http://www.sewainternational.com/video/UK%20Deligation%20Part%202.wmv

The videos and other information about the work carried out by our
dedicated volunteers can also be found on our website
www.sewainternational.com

Some more links and information about Relief work by Ramakrishna Matt

2005-03-29T09:59:00.000-08:00

Pictures of Relief activities in Sri Lanka and Andaman- http://ramakrishna.zip.net/
Pictues of Relief activities in Tamilnadu http://www.sriramakrishnamath.org/news/tsunami.shtml
Comprehensive Official reports from Chennai centre http://www.sriramakrishnamath.org/news/tsunami.shtml
Comprehensive Official reports from head quarters http://www.sriramakrishna.org/tsunami/
Video clips http://www.geocities.com/sriramakrishnamath/index.html

If you have not donated yet, you may donate through the online link here
http://www.sriramakrishnamath.org/Donation/Donor.asp?Donation='Tsunami'&Minimum=

Cellular jail where Veer Savarkar was kept & all Andaman landmarks untouched by Tsunami

2005-03-13T06:46:00.000-08:00

Cellular jail where Veer Savarkar was kept & all Andaman landmarks untouched by Tsunami

"v.godbole3" v.godbole3@ntlworld.com wrote:

Dear all,

I have just received a paper cutting from Sakal daily newspaper from Pune dated 14 February 2005. A group of senior citizens of Pune decided to visit the Andaman Islands. They were surprised that the Cellular jail where Veer Savarkar was kept and all the landmarks were untouched by Tsunami.
Please tell your friends the good news.

A friend of mine also returned from Madras in February. He was visiting his parents when Tsunami struck. Luckily water stopped spreading just 200 meters from their house. My friend was surprised at the quick response of EVEN the Government machinery. He just could not believe what he was witnessing. Life returned to normal very quickly indeed. No wonder the BBC did not report this!!!.

Dhanyavad.

V S Godbole

Vishwa Hindu Parishad 2004 Report

2005-02-28T07:10:00.000-08:00

The Report is on a pdf file. Please open by clicking on name of book or on the url below.

Book Name - Vishwa Hindu Parishad 2004

URL - http://www.geocities.com/manishmanjul/Book.pdf

IDRF's Tsunami Donation Receipts Cross US$600,000

2005-01-29T18:27:00.000-08:00

USA, January 24, 2005: Thousands of donors have placed their faith in India Development & Relief Fund (IDRF) again as their "Charity of Choice," according to this IDRF press release from their website, "source." With their overwhelming support, IDRF's donation receipts for tsunami relief and rehabilitation have exceeded $600,000. While the tide of direct giving by individual donors has receded, more and more institutional donors like Indian associations, temples and cultural groups are approaching IDRF to channel their collection of donations due to IDRF's 17-year track record in working for the poor and affected people in India. IDRF's donation receipts are expected to reach $1 million due to such resolute support and generosity from the Indian-American community.

IDRF recently released a VCD Sparsh - The Healing Touch, showcasing the outstanding long-term earthquake rehabilitation work done in Gujarat by 18 NGOs which it financed. IDRF's sincere efforts in helping earthquake survivors without any discrimination and in a cost-effective manner has turned many new donors towards IDRF. For instance, many Indian American community groups, religious institutions and professional organizations from various cities are now actively working with IDRF. IDRF collaborates with such donors in making decisions on how and where their donations should be used. The donors are also encouraged to help monitor those projects.

http://www.hinduismtoday.com/hpi/2005/1/28.shtml#3

Help4India : Long term Tsunami relief and redevelopment

2005-01-28T13:17:00.000-08:00

Help4India
http://www.help4india.org

- An informal effort by NRI volunteers for initiating
sustained, long term Tsunami relief and redevelopment

Several NRI students and young professionals have joined hands in
providing a forum for the long term re-development efforts in the
Tsunami hit areas of Southern India.

The devastation caused by the Tsunami saw an outpouring of relief
material and volunteers in the initial weeks of the disasters. Many
volunteer organizations and individuals worked endlessly to provide
relief and refuge to the millions effected.

This website was designed to provide information to the common man on
the extensive number of oragnizations tirelessly serving the tsunami
victims till date and also provide a forum where views, news and
future events of some of these organizationa will be presented.

With one month of the tragic disaster being completed on the Republic
day of India, today we humbly appeal to the different organizations to
come forward and help sustain this effort by posting their information
in this portal also.

This unified portal for information on relief efforts is being
launched with aim to consolidate information about different groups in
the long run and provide a long term strategy for support and
development.

We encourage you to please visit http://www.help4india.org with your
suggestions and support. Your small effort can make a big difference.

Regards
Help4india team
help4india@gmail.com

Another Commie trick to derail IDRF

2005-01-27T19:34:00.000-08:00

Another Commie trick to derail IDRF

Watch out guys http://www.idrf.ca/

Tt's "International Development & Relief Foundation" Seems more like a 'South Asian' outfit. And who do they quote on Kashmir? Arindathi Roy herself http://www.idrf.ca/Where-We-Work/Kashmir-Ehiopia.html !! And don't miss the
reference to 'Azad' Kashmir

SHAME ON YOU ARUNDATHI !

RK mission Pictures

2005-01-27T19:30:00.000-08:00

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Hindu children made to pray to jesus 6 times a

2005-01-25T10:16:00.000-08:00

Hindu children made to pray to jesus 6 times a
day in illegal orphanage

Critics say some Christians spread aid and Gospel
By Kim Barker
Tribune foreign correspondent
Published January 22, 2005

AKKARAIPETTAI, India -- The Christian evangelists came
in the morning, wearing fluorescent yellow T-shirts
emblazoned with "Believers Church" on the back and
"Gospel for Asia" on the front. They loaded up
hundreds of villagers, mostly Hindus, in vans and
trucks and drove them 6 miles away.

There, away from the eyes of village officials, each
tsunami survivor received relief supplies--a sleeping
mat, a plate, a sari, a 55-pound bag of rice and, in
the bottom of a white plastic bag proclaiming
"Believers Church Tsunami Relief," a book containing
biblical verses warning against the dangers of
alcohol.

"What do I do?" asked Muthammal, 35, who uses one name
like many in southern India and wears the red bindi on
her forehead showing she's Hindu. Like many here, she
cannot read. "They are asking us to come all this way.
It is so difficult."

Members of the Believers Church also have handed out
Bibles to tsunami survivors on the streets and in
relief camps. They set up an orphanage for 108
children, including many Hindus, and asked the
children to recite Christian prayers six times a day.
The Protestant church did not register the orphanage
with the government, authorities said. K.P. Yohannan,
the leader of Believers Church and Gospel for Asia,
said the church had tried to get government
permission.

Since the Dec. 26 tsunami killed more than 157,000
people and left millions homeless, relief groups have
flooded into Asia, from Sri Lanka to Thailand. As in
any crisis, many aid groups are religious, and they
consider it their duty to minister to the needy. Most
shun proselytizing and make little reference to what
they believe.

But in parts of Asia, some religious groups have
sparked controversy. They are accused of spreading a
message as they hand out rice and other supplies. They
are accused of exploiting tsunami victims.

In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim
country, Christian groups have been criticized for
distributing Bibles in relief camps. A U.S. missionary
group, World Help, planned to help raise 300 Muslim
children in a Christian children's home in Jakarta,
the capital. The project was abandoned after the
government protested.

An Islamic militant group in the hard-hit Indonesian
province of Aceh recruited members as it collected
bodies; other Islamic groups handed out thousands of
Korans in relief camps.

A U.S. group, the International Bible Society, has
announced plans to send 100,000 Christian texts,
including a book translated into Thai, "When Your
Whole World Changes," to survivors, including those in
Thailand.

Another group, Focus on the Family, prepared 300,000
survival packets including food, water, medicine and
the evangelical text "When God Doesn't Make Sense."
The group also has announced plans to rebuild
destroyed villages in India's Andhra Pradesh as
"Christian communities."

Gospel for Asia, a Texas-based evangelical group with
native missionaries in 10 Asian countries and the
phone number 1-800-WIN-ASIA, has dispatched about
1,000 workers to hand out relief aid. A feature on the
group's Web site called "Tsunami prayer requests" asks
people to pray for, among other things, many
opportunities to share the Gospel and "pray that the
Lord will bless this amazing opportunity to touch
thousands of children's lives with the Gospel."

Conversion efforts denied

Yohannan said members of the Believers Church and
Gospel for Asia were not trying to convert anyone. But
if people embraced Christianity after meeting the
evangelists, Yohannan would be happy.

"We wish everyone would believe in Jesus and love
Jesus," he said.

In India, fewer people have protested religious relief
activities than in Indonesia. Strife among religions
is common in India, but such differences have been
largely set aside since the disaster. Most Indians are
Hindu, but the tsunami hit hardest in an area near
holy spots for Hinduism, Islam and Christianity.
People also are happy to get anything. They will take
Christian texts from Believers Church if it means
getting rice.

"They are giving it," said Govindaraj, 45, a Hindu
from Akkaraipettai. "So we are taking it."

The surrounding Nagapattinam area of Tamil Nadu, a
coastal fishing district where more than 6,000 people
died, now looks like an ad for multiculturalism. Nuns
in habits ride around in a white Jeep. Refugees store
clothing in cardboard boxes taped with signs from
"Eternal Word Ministries Relief Aid." Muslims in
T-shirts advertising their religion help pull out
trawlers that the tsunami slammed into a bridge.

Scientologists try to heal people and help them move
on from the tsunami. The children of the village call
them "the white people in the yellow dresses,"
although they are not all white and they wear yellow
T-shirts--different from those of the Believers
Church--proclaiming "volunteer minister."

Most of these groups have had no problems. Many
religious leaders say they are only helping people,
not spreading religion.

"This is not the time to distribute Bibles or preach,"
said Rev. Franklin of the Church of South India, a
Protestant church.

Men from the Tamil Nadu Muslim Progress Organization
shook the hands of Scientologists, who had trained
them in a procedure called a "contact assist," which
tries to get people to move on from the time of the
tsunami and face their fears.

The Believers Church has stirred up more controversy
than any action by the Scientologists. Several church
members denied handing out Bibles and insisted they
were only cleaning up homes.

"We have not handed out Bibles," said Anandraj, 25.

Later, outside their new orphanage, church members
acknowledged they had handed out Bibles and booklets
against alcohol and abortion that include biblical
verses. They said they had distributed relief
materials at the orphanage, rather than in the
village, because it was easier and because they did
not have enough for everyone. They denied trying to
convert anyone. They said they only wanted to help.

Local officials displeased

But Akkaraipettai officials were upset. They
complained that the Christian group did not follow the
village procedures for relief agencies and did not
help everyone.

"We will not accept anyone trying to convert anyone to
another religion," said Selvamnattar, the village
president, adding that the village was entirely Hindu.
"Anyone who wants to help, we welcome it. But we will
not allow conversions."

The state of Tamil Nadu once banned religious
conversions, but that law recently was repealed.
Yohannan, the leader of Believers Church and Gospel
for Asia, blamed any controversy on Hindu
fundamentalists trying to stir up trouble.

Many children from Akkaraipettai ended up at the
Believers Church orphanage, set up to care for
children who lost one or both parents or for children
whose parents could not handle their children after
the tsunami. Biju, a Believers Church official, said
church members recruited children by talking about the
orphanage to people in relief camps and villages.

"We did not take the children," he said.

But the orphanage was set up without knowledge of the
government, said Suriyakala, the district's social
welfare officer.

Inside the orphanage, children seemed happy, playing
volleyball, badminton and cricket. Several Hindu
children said they were asked to recite Christian
prayers six times a day.

"As soon as we get up, we pray," said Rajavalli, 13, a
Hindu, adding that she had no problem with praying.

Members of the church also handed out Tamil-language
Bibles, including refugees staying in a railway
station. Several said they took the Bible only because
it was offered.

But Mahalakshmi, 18, who had converted earlier from
Hinduism to Christianity, said she was happy to get a
Bible.

"I understand that to make people understand they have
sinned, God has sent this tsunami," she said. "I get
peace from reading the Bible and understanding this.
Others who don't will continue to suffer."

How do you spell relief? P-o-l-i-t-i-c-s

2005-01-24T11:28:00.000-08:00

Were waves the fault of 'infidels'?

By SALIM MANSUR -- For the Toronto Sun

Canadians observed, at the initiative of Prime Minister Paul Martin, an official day of mourning for the Asian tsunami victims. There have been similar observations, ecumenical prayers, expressions of grief and solidarity from peoples and governments across the world.

More important, words have been matched and exceeded with the generosity of people in Canada and elsewhere to help alleviate the sufferings of the living and contribute to rebuilding the devastated areas of the countries affected.

In the midst of such an outpouring of support for tsunami victims, words from the Middle East, reported in the regional media, sound a strikingly contrary and discordant note.

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), based in Washington, has been providing since 1998, as its Web site notes, "timely translations of Arabic, Farsi, and Hebrew media."

This service of reporting -- unedited and uncensored -- what is said by those who shape public opinion in the region provides a window to the thinking of the people there.

A review of MEMRI's recent translations of statements relating to the Asian tsunami in the Arab media is at once shocking and revealing of the mindset of many religious, academic and political leaders of the Arab-Muslim world.

The Saudi justice minister, Ibrahim Al-Bashar, went on the Saudi Arabian/United Arab Emirates Al-Majd television channel to state: "Whoever reads the Koran, given by the Maker of the World, can see how these nations were destroyed. There is one reason: they lied, they sinned, and (they) were infidels."

In the same vein, Sheik Ibrahim Mudeiris, a Palestinian prayer leader, announced just days after the tsunami that the waves were sent by a vengeful God against "corrupt oppressors."

A Saudi professor, Sheikh Fawzan Al-Fawzan, at the Al-Imam University in Beirut, Lebanon, observed on television that the tsunami was a divine punishment for homosexuality and fornication: "It happened at Christmas, when fornicators and corrupt people from all over the world come to commit fornication and sexual perversion."

Another Saudi cleric, Muhammad Al-Munajjid, expanded this idea: "Those celebrating spent (the holiday) in vacation resorts, pubs, and hotels. Allah struck them with an earthquake. He finished off the Richter scale. Tens of thousands dead."

An Egyptian correspondent, Mahmoud Bakri, writing for Egypt's weekly magazine Al-Usbu', developed an ingenious, conspiracy-laden theory for the disaster. Bakri posed the question "Was (it) caused by American, Israeli, and Indian nuclear testing on the day of horror?"

Then he answered: "... although so far it has not been proven that secret Indian-Israeli nuclear testing is what caused the destructive earthquake, there is evidence that the recent nuclear tests, the exchange of nuclear experts between India and Israel, and the American pressure on Pakistan regarding its nuclear cooperation with Asian and Islamic countries -- all these pose a big question mark regarding the causes of the severe earthquake in Asia."

These words illuminate the minds of the people who utter them and of those who accept.

Moreover, these are opinions of several members of the educated elite of a part of the world deliberately locked into a medieval mindset.

This medievalism, often in the guise of Islam, rages in fury at the world beyond itself. It extols the virtues of suicide bombers, blames Jews and infidels for the ills of the world, and declares war on the West.

There is a lesson in this. It took Europe centuries to escape the fanaticism and impoverishment of the medieval age.

Today, the West must protect itself from the medievalism of the Middle East.

======

How do you spell relief? P-o-l-i-t-i-c-s

MARCUS GEE

Let’s not be cynical. Genuine compassion for the Tsunami victims is the main reason why countries around the world have been rushing to help the relief efforts. But let’s not be naïve, either. National interest and pride have also been driving countries to give, and the way they gave, casts an interesting light on their strengths and ambitions.

For the United States, the aid drive is a golden opportunity to improve the way that Americans are seen by others. The U.S. has deployed hundred of troops and scores of warships and helicopters. The pictures of U.S. troops

handing out food and water to victims in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation should help dispel the absurd idea that Washington is prejudiced against the Islamic world. It was the United States, after all, that intervened to end a famine in mainly Muslim Somalia in the early 1990s. The United States that sent warplanes to attack Serbs who were massacring Bosnian Muslims in the former Yugoslavia, and the United States that led the drive to rescue Kuwait after Saddam Hussein’s Iraq invaded the Persian Gulf State.

The relief effort is a chance to show that American power can do good as well as deter evil. Secretary of State Collin Powell called the effort “an investment in national security.” If it helps relieve the unreasoning hatred of the United States that infects so much of the world, it will be money well spent.

For India, the disaster is a chance to show its big power status and regional influence. New Delhi dispatched ships, helicopters and aircrafts to neighboring Sri Lanka with in a day of the Tsunamis, bringing doctors, water and medical supplies. The message was clear: Even though India itself suffered in the disaster, it has the power and the wealth to help others. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pointedly declined all offers of foreign aid, declaring that “we feel we can cope with the situation on our own.” India, he was correct to say, has plenty of experience, dealing with natural disasters, from Monsoon floods to earthquakes, but the refusal of outside help reeked of the prickly pride that is one of the modern India’s character flaws.

The effects could be especially severe for the residents of the Andaman and Nicobar islands. Though the archipelago lies more than 1,400 kilometers east of the Indian mainland, New Delhi is keeping out most of the aid agencies over apparent fears that a foreign presence might somehow comprise Indian sovereignty there.

For China and Japan, as well, aid is a way to extend their influence. Japan is dismayed by its puny status on the international stage and hungers for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. Its $500 – million (U.S.) contribution to disaster relief is intended to show that Japan is global player. To underline the point, it is sending destroyers, supply ships and 900 military personnel.

Japan’s big effort is also intended to pre-empt China, its East Asian rival. Japanese officials reportedly settled on $ 500 – million because they feared that Beijing was about to make a huge offer. They need not have worried: China came through with only $ 83 – million. Its military aid consist of a few dozen medical workers flown into the distant zones, an embarrassing contrast to the 13,000 being deployed by Washington.

China’s under whelming response shows that, despite its booming economy and great power ambitions, it has a long way to go before it fulfills its dream of becoming the dominant power in its region, if not the world. In a crisis like this, it cannot even compete with Australia, which has a population one - 65th as large but is giving 10 times as much.

More disappointing still has been the response from the Arab world. Even with a quarter of the world’s proven oil reserves, Saudi Arabia is sending only $30 – million, roughly the same amount as the Netherlands. Kuwait and Qatar, meanwhile, gave $ 10 – million each, and the United Arab Emirates $ 20 – million. In total, the four oil producers gave $ 70 – million. Compare that to the $ 500 – million a day they earn in oil revenue, and you get a rough idea of how much they really care about their Muslim brothers and sisters in Indonesia.

(At the time of Iran earthquake, no Muslim country gave any kind of help to Muslim Iran.)

Tsunami tests secular dogmas

2005-01-24T11:15:00.000-08:00

Pioneer 25January2005

Sandhya Jain

Tsunami victims of Samanthapettai near the temple town of Madurai saw the dark side of Christian charity as missionaries stomped out of their village without distributing relief after residents refused their faith-for-food deal (ANI, 16 January 2005).

The 200-odd homeless villagers, coping with hunger, trauma and disease, felt blessed when trucks with food, clothes and medicines moved into the village. But when the nuns insisted that they convert before accepting a minimal diet of biscuits and water, the villagers recoiled with distaste. Hot words were exchanged, but the adamant missionaries beat back local attempts to acquire the relief material and quit with their supplies intact when television crews arrived on the scene by chance.

Unfortunately, the Union Government has taken no cognizance of missionary attempts to prey upon hapless tsunami victims, and reports suggest that missionary groups are getting disproportionate control over distribution of relief supplies. That is why missionaries checkmated in Indonesia are rushing to Chennai.

As is now well-known, the US-based World Help was forced to abandon plans to put 50 Muslim children in a Christian orphanage near Jakarta because the Indonesian Government said: “Muslim children should not be raised in a non-Muslim home.” The Council on American-Islamic Relations added: “This confirms some of our worst fears that certain missionary groups would exploit the tragedy and the earthquake to enter into these areas and convert people through use of a disproportionate power relationship. How many incidents of this type are taking place that we don't hear about?” Indonesia has banned foreign adoptions of orphans to allay fears of possible child-smuggling or abuse following the tragedy.

In Aceh, dozens of Western Christian groups have moved in to help and convert victims, triggering enormous tension and impeding relief to nearly six lakh homeless people. The Indonesian Council of Ulemas says using aid to spread religion is wrong, and warns that the “Muslim community will not remain quiet. This is a clear statement and it is serious.” But Americans are born-again religious imperialists; evangelist Mark Kosinski insisted: “These people need food but they also need Jesus. God is trying to awaken people and help them realize salvation is in Christ.”

World Help has now turned towards India, where (its website announced) “God is overcoming hundreds of years of false religions and idol worship.” Such despicable language surely amounts to hate speech under American laws. The United Nations, which avers respect for all faiths, also needs to take cognizance of such abusive practices.

Sadly, World Help is confident that India’s votebank-conscious politicians will permit evangelization under the pretext of religious freedom, as recently witnessed in the facilitation of the Benny Hinn sham show in Bangalore. Its president Rev. Vernon Brewer described the Indonesian orphanage plans as really “no different than what Mother Theresa did by taking Hindu orphan children and placing them in a Roman Catholic children's home in Calcutta, and she won the Nobel Peace Prize for doing that.” This is an eloquent comment on the political-cultural underpinnings of the Nobel, and Indian politicians panting for it should accept that getting it involves sacrificing critical national interests.

Western determination to make the world Christian calls for scrutiny of the idea of ‘secularism.’ Many Indians lazily swallow Western propaganda that secularism is separation of Church (religion) from State (public realm); that Western nations are superior because they practice this policy; and that secularism is a universal value.

In truth, secularism is only a tactical ceasefire negotiated between warring Christian denominations in blood-stained Europe. The privileges of secularism (State restraint from murder and mayhem against different sects) did cover other faiths entering Christian lands. But the rising anti-Jewish sentiment in France (birthplace of all Western ‘universal’ values) should make us understand the basically intra-Christian nature of this concept. Islam did not produce a truce among Islamic sects, and continues to be plagued by sectarian strife. Islamic tolerance of other creeds is notoriously deficient.

Hindu leaders have mindlessly accepted Western categories of thought and imposed artificial definitions upon society. The Vedic categories of “Vasudev kutumbukum” (the world is one family) and “Ekam sat, vipraha bahuda vadanti” (there is one Truth, wise men call it differently) have been distorted to harm community interests and need a proper explanation.

To begin with, the monotheistic traditions were unknown to India when these pristine thoughts were enunciated. The Vedic seers validated all thoughts, divinities, and sacred symbols revered within the geo-cultural matrix of India, and bound them into the fabled unity and continuity of the Indic tradition.

Does Vedic tolerance bestow spiritual equality to monotheistic faiths? Our ethos does not label any spiritual quest as ‘false religion’ (whatever that means). Yet Hindu dharma is implicitly at odds with monotheistic intolerance. Accepting Christianity or Islam involves hating our own dharma (as secular intellectuals and politicians do), and shunning the other monotheism, as both demand exclusive adherence! Soon our ‘tolerant’ secularists will be forced to choose between Islam and Christianity, as evangelizers up the ante in the contest for souls (read holy warriors).

Much of the current tension in Indian society is on account of ‘secular’ politicians mollycoddling the two monotheisms and suppressing legitimate Hindu aspirations. While secularism in a Hindu context permits the existence of other faiths, it cannot tolerate negation of Hindu identity and culture. Dharma demands that spiritual paths that refuse to coexist and seek actively to destroy others must be repelled.

Secularists will claim a multi-religious society cannot privilege a particular tradition, but this is the reality all over the world. The German State collects taxes for two major Christian groups (non-Christians are exempt). It also provides religious lessons at school for the two Christian sects.

America is famously non-neutral in matters of religion. The dollar proclaims: “In God we trust” and the Pledge of Allegiance invokes God. In South Carolina, Protestantism is State religion and the election of clergy is part of the State election process. The constitution of Pennsylvania advocates religious work for building human virtues.

In Britain, the Church of England is the official Church and the monarch is its head. To this day, a Catholic or anyone who marries a Catholic cannot claim the throne. In Scotland, the general assembly of the Presbyterian Church is the supreme legislative and judicial body. Higher echelons of priesthood automatically become members of the upper house of the British Parliament and thus participate in the legislative process.

In Japan, Buddhism was the state religion from the sixth century until 1934, when a military coup restored the original Shinto as state religion. The 1945 constitution separated religion and state, but Shinto priests continue to preside over all public and private ceremonies. These are all nations that India respects.

Within the country, however, we find that in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, most cash-rich temples are controlled by State Governments. The contributions made by devotees are taken by the State treasury, and the Hindu community is deprived. Not only are donations to churches and mosques untouched, but the contributions of Hindu laity are diverted for upkeep of churches and mosques, and even finance the infamous Hajj subsidy! Indian secularism thus discriminates against Hindu dharma and Hindu aspirations. It is high time we liberate ourselves from this false secularism and give due respect to ourselves and our native ethos.

Christian Conversions attempts in the time of grief

2005-01-24T08:30:00.000-08:00

What a shame on these evangalists , they want CONVERSIONS IN EXCHANGE OF SERVICE ??

Public should take a not of this and protest this trend
-----------------------------------------------------------

Shobha Warrier in Nagapattinam | January 24, 2005 15:45 IST
Last Updated: January 24, 2005 16:17 IST

When I entered one of the rows of temporary shelters built for
tsunami victims in Pattancherry village in Nagapattinam, I witnessed
a minor scuffle in a corner.

Some inmates had surrounded a Christian priest and two nuns, and a
war of words was going on.

"We are Hindus and we want to live as Hindus. Why do you want to
convert us?" some young men shouted at the missionaries.
The priest said, "We are not here to convert people. We were only
offering prayers for your peace of mind."
But flashing some pamphlets distributed among them by the three, the
inmates snorted, "What does this mean?"
The priest had no answer.

"Why do you enter our houses and pray?," they asked. "Your nuns do
this when our women are alone at home. We know how to pray."
The young men were extremely furious. The priest was unruffled. But
the nuns were shaken by the sudden surge of animosity from the
muscular men.

The scuffle went on till the three were forced to leave the place.
Day two:

As I was visiting the areas close to the sea that were badly
affected by the tsunami waves, I saw another angry scene outside
another temple in another village.

Police jeeps were seen parked outside the temple in Samandapettai.
So was a van.
Villagers were complaining to the police about a missionary group to
which the van belonged.

They said the group had taken away to another place their belongings
and the relief they had got from nongovernmental organisations and
the government, which they had kept inside the temple, because they
refused to listen to its missionaries.

"They want to try their luck at some other place. Since we resisted,
they took away our things. We won't allow this to happen," they
said. "Why don't you arrest all of them?" the villagers asked the
police.

The villagers' torrent of angry words continued. "We have lost
everything to the sea. They said they would help us if we followed
their religion. What logic is this? Are they here to help us or
change our religion?" The police couldn't cool their tempers.
The group said it did not take away the belongings of the villagers
and insisted that the contents inside the van belonged to it.
That evening, some villagers came with the news that the police had
arrested the priest they had confronted the previous day. Apparently
some angry villagers had gheraoed him, and forced the police to
arrest him.

"He shouldn't be doing this when we are grieving, when we are
suffering. Everything has its time and place," a villager said.
When I wanted to talk to the panchayat president and locals of the
Karakkalmedu village at Karaikkal, they called me inside the village
temple. That was where they met outsiders. The temple has become the
centre of activity in the village.

Before we started talking, one of them opened the door to the
sanctum sanctorum and pointed to a mark left by the strong tsunami
waves. They told me that water stopped at the feet of their deity
and then receded. "We might have suffered, but our Goddess saved us."
This belief had taken the villagers all the more closer to their
deity.

"That is why it hurts us when others come and tell us that it was
because of our God and our belief that we suffered. We won't let
anyone exploit us when we are down," the panchayat members asserted.

http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/jan/24shoba.htmH

Why India didn't took donations from Paris Club ? One should read this

2005-01-14T15:00:00.000-08:00

Disaster donations may well end up servicing the Third World Debt!

By Damien Millet and Eric Toussaint (*)

Ever since the earthquake that struck off the coast of Indonesia on
26th December there has been a profusion of figures in the headlines,
increasing remorselessly: the number of victims, the cost of the damage, the
amount of international aid. And a succession of meetings involving the major
powers: the Jakarta conference, a G7 meeting, a session of the Paris Club ...
Let us pause to comment on some little-known facts and figures that should
be at the heart of the debate.

Eleven countries are affected: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand,
Somalia, the Maldives, Malaysia, Burma, Tanzania, Bangladesh and Kenya.
A mixed bag, including countries from Africa and from Asia, countries
with emerging economies and very poor countries, countries repaying colossal
amounts on their debts and others which have suspended payments.
However Nature made no distinction between these countries, so it would seem
all the more shocking to grant to some what others might be denied.

At the end of 2003, the total external debt of the eleven countries
came to 406 billion dollars [1]. Their economic performance varied greatly, as
did their creditors [2]. Promising countries like India and Thailand have a
debt mainly to private lenders, contracted on the finance markets or
with big banks. Poor countries like Sri Lanka or Bangladesh have a mainly
multilateral debt, held by the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank
and the IMF. More internationally isolated countries like Somalia have a
mainly bilateral debt contracted with rich countries.

In 2003, the eleven countries repaid a total of 68 billion dollars to
their foreign creditors, as compared to 60 billion the preceding year. Their
governments alone repaid 38 billion dollars [3]. It is an enormous
drain on their resources: between 1980 and 2003, repayments totalled eleven
times the amount owed in 1980, while at the same time, that original debt had
increased fivefold [4].

The amount of international aid so far pledged is estimated at 6
billion dollars, 4 billion of which will come from official institutions.
Without wishing to discourage the wave of generosity, which relieves the
donors' consciences long before it reaches the victims, it is urgent to point
out that the eleven countries shell out six times that much in debt
repayments each year. So the grossly over-publicised generosity, even when it is
sincere, remains a very subtle mechanism for sucking the wealth of the
populations of the South towards their rich creditors. If only
December's tragedy could serve to highlight that other tragedy, going well beyond
the eleven countries hit by the tsunami: the debt. Because of it, and with
the complicity of the local ruling classes who have a personal interest in
keeping their countries indebted, States do not guarantee the
fulfilment of their people's basic needs; poverty and corruption are widespread;
political and economic sovereignty have become meaningless concepts for
dozens of countries; natural resources are pillaged or sold off to
powerful multinational corporations; farmers are forced to grow cash crops for
export to the detriment of subsistence crops. The debt is the
particularly vigorous nerve centre of a predatory and oppressive economic model.

What creditor would dare declare publicly that they still intend to
obtain repayments from such badly damaged countries? Nevertheless, none has
definitely given up. The long-awaited Paris Club meeting, (17 days
after the quake) attended by 19 rich countries, should fool no one. The
creditors are ready to suspend repayments, with no significant cancellation of
the debt, all the better to lay down strict conditionalities enforced by
the IMF. Yet this is the same IMF which already distinguished itself during
the 1997-1998 crisis with remedies worse than the disease.

As a mater of conscience, all creditors can decide to renounce their
debts. Without delay. It has already happened in recent years for geopolitical
reasons [5]. Hundreds of social movements present in the region,
particularly the CADTM and Jubilee South networks, have called for
cancellation, showing the objective solidarity that exists among all
those who have first-hand experience of the tyranny of the debt. A moratorium
or simple reduction will not do. Only the total and unconditional
cancellation of the external public debt of the stricken countries, with local
citizens' control over the money thus freed up, can be an adequate response to
the scale of the tsunami disaster. Otherwise, the only purpose your
donations will serve, in the end, is to help the devastated countries to repay
their debt - a debt that has become immoral.

(*) Damien Millet, president of CADTM France, and Eric Toussaint,
president of CADTM Belgium (Committee for the Abolition of the Third World Debt).
They co-authored the book "The Debt Scam", published by VAK, Mumbai,
2003 and "Who Owes Who?" published by Zedbooks, London, 2004.

NOTES:

[1] Authors' calculations based on World Bank figures.

[2] 47 % are private, 27 % bilateral and 26 % multilateral.

[3] Of which 16 billion were due to the multilateral institutions (7 bn
for the World Bank and 4 bn for the IMF); 9 billion to the rich countries;
13 billion to private investors.

[4] Authors' calculations based on World Bank figures.

[5] Egypt and Poland in 1991, Russia in 1998, Yugoslavia and Pakistan
in 2001, Iraq in 2004.

Translated by Vicki Briault CADTM France.

www.cadtm.org

Five glimpses of tsunami relief seva rendered by RSS , Seva Bharathi

2005-01-13T13:20:00.000-08:00

Five glimpses of tsunami relief seva rendered by swayamsevaks of RSS-Seva Bharathi, Tamilnadu

This issue of PANCHAAMRITAM was due on Amavasya (January 10, 2005).
This delay, as can be guessed, was caused by Tsunami. All the same, it
provided us an opportunity to present glimpses of the service rendered
by Swayamsevaks of RSS-Seva Bharathi Tamilnadu among the Tsunami-hit
along the Tamilnadu coastline, with emphasis on North Tamilnadu.

January 13, 2005

ONE

** RSS - Seva Bharathi Tamilnadu volunteers Valavan and Shastri saved
78 persons from the jaws of death while they were engaged in relief
work in Nagore, Nagapattinam District. ** At Kilinjalmedu near
Karaikkal (Pondichery Union Territory), Gnanasekaran, a well built
Swayamsevak made several trips into the turbulent sea and carried 2
persons every time back to shore. In this manner, he saved the lives
of 25 persons. ** In the same place, Ganesh and Arulmurugan climbed on
to a boat that was being tossed by the waves, rowed into the sea and
brought ashore 6 persons struggling for life out there. ** At a place
near Kalpaakkam, where river Palaru meets the sea, the force of the
current was maximum. Volunteers Ramesh and Mekkavan found two persons
being snatched away by the receding rush of sea water; they managed to
rescue both after a hard struggle (Thus, Swayamsevaks saved the lives
of a total of 114 persons all along the Tamilnadu coastline).

TWO

** Paramankeni (Kanchipuram District): Various organisations and
individuals had dumped relief material in this costal village. The
villagers found that blankets were far more than the requirement. They
decided to pass them on to other needy people. They thoughtfully chose
a Harijan hamlet nearby. They carried the bundles of blankets and
distributed them among the worse affected men and women there. ** At
Neelangarai, a fishing village in south Chennai coast RSS-Seva
Bharathi team went round distributing food packets on the evening of
the day when Tsunami struck. The residents of the place requested the
team to serve food to the residents of the adjacent village where no
relief had reached by that time. They said, "We have taken food but
our neighbours are hungry". ** In Aiyambakkam, a hamlet situated on
the Cuddalore-Chidambaram route Swayamsevaks distributed relief
material. They also met families that have lost their near and dear
and consoled them. But the villagers said, "we are particularly sad
that we are not in a position even to provide refreshments to you who
have taken the trouble of coming to share our grief."

THREE

** Thirvottriyur (North Chennai): Tsunami afflicted people from many
fishing hamlets in north Chennai in need of relief materials were
requested by the volunteers of RSS - Seva Bharathi to arrange
themselves in rows and sit down. They did. A piece of camphor and
matchbox were given to each. All of them were requested by the
volunteers to light the camphor and pray to the almighty to bestow
sadgati to their departed dear ones. The effect was simply
inexplicable in words. A deep silence that prevailed in the minutes
that followed clearly made those present there feel and experience the
current of profound emotions that was running in the hearts of every
single tsunami hit individual. Soon after, when Swayamsevaks asked the
people whether some of them could come forward to join the relief and
rehabilitation activity, all assembled there spontaneously raised
their hands as a sign of their readiness. Thereupon, Swayamsevaks
selected 3 men and 3 women as volunteers for every hamlet. Thus a
feeling of service mindedness could be evoked even in grief-stricken
men and women by appealing to their innate spirituality. ** Chinnanur
(Salem District): Swayamsevaks and Seva Bharathi volunteers residing
in interior districts provided the most essential supply back up by
door to door collection of relief material. Swayamsevaks of Chinnanur
found an old woman in rags approaching the cart loaded with relief
material collected in the village, trying to say something. One young
volunteer, presuming that she was asking for alms, told her to go
away. But, to his wonderment, the old lady extended her arm holding a
tiny cloth bag (surukku pai) containing some small change, her own
precious savings. She was, in fact, offering her all for the sake of
the suffering sons and daughters.

FOUR

** Ambattur (Chennai): The management, staff and students of Saraswati
Matriculation School decided to cancel the annual day celebrations
this year and donate Rs. 30,000 being the amount saved thus to the
relief and rehabilitation work of Seva Bharathi Tamilnadu. The
correspondent of the school who came to Seva Bharathi office at
Chetpet, Chennai, to hand over the cheque, was so impressed by the
sincere and systematic efforts of Seva Bharathi that he made,
additionally, a personal contribution of Rs 10,000 on the spot. **
Avalurpet (Vellore District): Many a coastal village in Tamilnadu hit
by Tsunami left behind many children fatherless and motherless.
Swayamsevaks have started finding out establishments that will take
care of these hapless kids. Raja Desingu School is one such school
where a few orphaned kids will stay study. The Swayamsevaks learnt
that the school was already home to a few orphans. But the newcomers
were only more welcome there, indicating the accommodative spirit of
the school management.

FIVE

** By the efforts of RSS - Seva Bharathi Tamilnadu, seven eminent
Hindu spiritual groups including the AIM of Swami Dayananda Sarawati,
the Ramakrisha Mutt, The Art of Living team of Sri Sri Ravishankar,
Yoga followers of Shri. Jaggi Vasudev, devotees of Mata
Amritananadamayi, etc., came together and formed Tsunami
Rehabilitation Inititative (TRI) and have started working in unison, a
sign of recent Hindu resurgence. ** A district level functionary of
the Congress Party in North Chennai found RSS-Seva Bharati Volunteers
successfully inspiring even the Tsunami hit people to shoulder the
relief and rehabilitation work. That made him feed a hundred such
volunteers at one of the 15 relief camps run by RSS-Seva Bharathi
Tamilnadu, for two days at his own expense. He had come to the camp,
in fact, looking for his grandmother who had volunteered to join
others in sorting clothes received from the public for distribution.
** The Tamilnadu secretary of Communist Party of India Shri.
Nallakannu went round many Tsunami hit places; on returning to Chennai
he told reporters on January 1, 2005, " I found RSS men helping
affected people even in places where the state machinery had not
entered."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

NOTE: Willing donors may send in their contributions as Cheque /
Demand Draft in the name of "Seva Bharathi Tamilnadu -Earthquake
Relief A/C" at the following address:

Seva Bharathi Tamilnadu,

1, M.V.Street, Panchavadi, Chetpet,

Chennai - 600 031.

Fund Raising program : Vrindavana Preservation Society

2005-01-13T11:21:00.000-08:00

Vrindavana Preservation Society

Memo

To: WHDH, WCVB, WBZ, WFXT, WLVI, WSBK, NECN, WHBH, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, India New England, Daily Times Chronicle, Reading Advocate, Patriot Ledger, Harvard Pilgrim Heath Care, Venetian Moon Restaurant, Prospective Supporting Organizations, and VPS Members

From: Keshav Shukla, Vrindavana Preservation Society President and

Nicholas Cavallo, Vrindavana Preservation Society Treasurer

CC: Venkata Dayanandan, VPS Chennai Organizer

Date: 1/12/2005

Re: VPS Tsunami Relief Project and Upcoming Venetian Moon Fundraiser – Monday, January 17

This upcoming Monday, January 17, 2005, the Vrindavana Preservation Society, a Quincy-based non-profit, volunteer organization will attend a fundraiser to be held at the Venetian Moon Restaurant, 680 Main Street, Reading, MA. You are all invited to attend. The fundraiser will begin at 5:00 pm and continue until midnight. Media is encouraged to arrive prior. The fundraiser brings together the efforts of these two groups. For direction please call Venetian Moon at (781)944-3633

In response to the Tsunami disaster, the Vrindavana Preservation Society has held a number of gatherings expressing the organization’s distress surrounding the natural disaster two weeks ago. A moment of silence was held to honor those who were affected, including some friends and family of the primarily Indian VPS members. The gatherings were covered be a number of Boston network news channels and the Patriot Ledger in Quincy. After receiving encouragement and support from members, VPS has decided to organize a trip to Chennai to participate directly in the relief efforts. Since committing to the effort, VPS has been happy with the overwhelming support from it’s member in the form of monetary donations. Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare has also come forward as a corporate sponsor. There is also one other large company expressing their interest to support VPS as well.

In a seemingly unrelated story, the Venetian Moon Restaurant, an Italian restaurant in Reading announced last week that it would donate all the revenue generated on Monday January 17, 2005 to an, as of then, undecided charity organization, to aid in the relief efforts is Asia. This story was covered a couple Boston network news stations.

The Venetian Moon Restaurant is owned and operated by Carmen and Anthony Cavallo. Unbeknownst to them, their son Nicholas Cavallo was also planning a trip to volunteer personally in Chennai as Treasurer of the VPS. Earlier this week, after exchanging stories, the Venetian Moon Restaurant has chosen to donate all the revenue generated this Monday to the Vrindavana Preservation Society. It is for this event that we invite you attend.

Below is an overview of the project planning currently underway by volunteers and the contact information for VPS and the Venetian Moon Restaurant.

On January 28th, Keshav Shukla – VPS President, Dennis Kelley – VPS Vice President, Nicholas Cavallo – VPS Treasurer, and Charran Mahadeo – VPS Member, will depart to India for 5 weeks. They are planning to meet several officers from the Vrindavana Chapter of VPS, and several VPS members in Chennai to begin their Tsunami relief efforts.

With the help of VPS members in Chennai, primarily Venkata Dayanandan, VPS has actively planning the precise activities that will take place. Pending the follow-up from a meeting that occurred on January 11, VPS has decided to engage in two main efforts. First it hope to engage in immediate services including, but not limited to: mass distribution of heath information flyers, mass distribution of khitchri (lentil and vegetable rice) and/or other meals, and collaboration with local hospitals for immediate medical needs. Concurrently, VPS will continue it’s current efforts to locate appropriate projects run by the LOCAL community and a select few longer term restoration efforts. Further details will be outlined in an official project plan that will be sign-off by the VPS board of directors sometime before January 28.

VPS has participated in a number of volunteer effort in Vrindavana, India in the past, including: extensive restoration of historical centers (with the help of the Indian Archeological Department), distribution of clothing and supplied to local sewer cleaners (in an effort to change common perception of such citizens as “untouchables”) and commencement of a long term project to create a 5-acre botanical garden exhibiting the lands original natural beauty.

100% of all donations received at the Venetian Moon or any other donations received as part of the Tsunami fundraising or intended by the donator for use in the Tsunami disaster will be directly utilized for the upcoming Tsunami relief project in South India. Donations will NOT be utilized for any personal expenses incurred by VPS members on their trip including food, lodging and transportation.

VENETIAN MOON RESTAURANT

680 Main Street

Reading, MA

(781)944-3633

Contact person: Anthony Cavallo

(cell) – 781-953-9919

VRINDAVANA PRESERVATION SOCIETY

226 Billings Street

Quincy, MA 02171

www.vps-international.org

Contact person: Keshav Shukla

keshav@vps-international.org

Contact person: Nicholas Cavallo

nick_vps@yahoo.com

(cell) – (617)791-2892

AID diverting Tsunami relief funds to communist outfits

2005-01-10T14:50:00.000-08:00

AID (Association for India's Development) diverting Tsunami relief funds to communist outfits?

-- Report from Chennai

I was in Tamil Nadu the whole of last week coordinating some relief
work. I had gone along with some other individual freelancers from
Bangalore city.

We did find the DYFI volunteers as ubiquitous atleast in Chidambaram
district. DYFI and other NGO there called Creed had a mafia-level
hold on the district. One cannot go anywhere without them monitoring
you.

One DYFI guy called Dinesh Thirumurthi(working in NetApps, Calif) is
coordinating their effort. Colluding with the local police and other
perverted Marxist forums (with nice names like science forum etc),
that pig is spreading his own message amongst the locals.

The DYFI guys had elaborate lists with each member of each family of
the village listed out. Any outsider to that area is forced to take
along the DYFI volunteers who project the action to the villagers as
their own.

AID is working along with DYFI. It is not a hidden fact. In their
daily dispatches, that pig Dinesh Thirumurthi is projecting his
achievements as great contributions by DYFI to our society. Many
individuals in Bangalore atleast have been bought over by his
argument and are unknowingly associating with those devils.

The police are another impediment to relief work. We had to bribe
those police morons at every checkpost else they do not let you
access the villages. Add to this, the almost complete absence of Govt
from most rural areas.

The media is concentrating only on the urban areas which are
accessible easily by road. The areas cut off from pucca roads are
being neglected. Even the non-Marxist NGOs there are busy in their
old game of taking photos first and then worrying about relief.
-----------------

PROFILE

Dinesh Thirumurthy

http://www.geocities.com/dinesh_thirumurthy/

US Residence 34270 Duffy Terrace, Fremont, CA 94555, USA No Phone email dinesh_thirumurthy@yahoo.com
US Work Network Appliance, Inc., 495 E Java Dr Sunnyvale, CA 94089, USA Phone (408) 822 3351 email dan.trimmer@gmail.com
India Residence 36 Duraiswamy Road, Kilpauk Gardens, Kilpauk, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600 010, India Phone +91-44-264701097

Tsunami Relief Work in Tamil Nadu, India

Flight Details:
---------------
Passenger Dinesh Thirumurthy

Depart San Francisco by Singapore Airlines SQ1 29 Dec 12:05AM
Depart Singapore by Singapore Airlines SQ410 30 Dec 8:35PM
Arrive Chennai at 10:35 PM

Current Relief Work Plan:
-------------------------

I will try to find 4 HAM volunteers
I will try to find that many physicians.
I will try to arrange for medical supplies.

And we will leave in 2 vehicles towards Cuddalore on 31 Dec Monrning.

Arrive Cuddalore Noon.
Deploy HAM station
Help in Relief Work
Until things improve.

How to Contact Me in India:
Contact my wife

Rajalakshmi Subramanian - risind@yahoo.com (206) 790 4864
and my mother
Kousalya Arumugam - adeept@yahoo.com +91 44 2647 0197, 2647 0107 (use phone)

Latest Report on Relief work by RAMAKRISHNA MATT

2005-01-09T07:50:00.000-08:00

Received from Sundaram Iyer Seethalakshmi

www.geocities.com/hsitah9/01-TSUNAMIREPORTEnglishHQdoc-2.doc

Good Charities for Disaster with U.S. 501 (c)(3) Non Profit Status

2005-01-08T10:07:00.000-08:00

Charities for Disaster with U.S. 501 (c)(3) Non Profit Status:

All India Movement for Seva www.aimforseva.org

India Development and Relief Fund www.idrf.org

American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin www.aapio.org

BAPS Care International www.bapscare.org

International Association for Human Values www.iahv.org

Sewa International www.sewausa.org

India Heritage Research Foundation: www.ihrf.com

Federation of Jain Associations of North America http://jaina.org/

In India, you may contribute to:

Sewa Bharathi Tamil Nadu, Shakti,
1 M.V. Street
, Pachvati, Chetpet, Chennai- 600031, Tamil Nadu, India. Income-tax benefit under section 80G is available.

Gayatri Parivar: http://www.awgp.org/english/donation/resource_donation.html

All India Movement for Seva www.aimforseva.org

BAPS Care International www.bapscare.org

International Association for Human Values www.iahv.org

India Heritage Research Foundation: www.ihrf.com

Mata Amritanandamayi Center https://www.mothersbooks.org/donations/make-a-donation.html

If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. These are my personal endorsements and not of any group I am affiliated with.

Mihir Meghani, M.D.

Treasurer, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin Northern California Chapter (www.aapio.org)

Member, Board of Directors, American Academy for Emergency Medicine in India (www.aaemi.org)

Member, Disaster Medical Assistance Team of the the San Francisco Bay Area (www.dmatca6.org)

Jewish Community organizes prayer services for Tsunami Victims

2005-01-08T10:05:00.000-08:00

Indo-American Political Action Committee of Greater Houston known as IAPAC, India Culture Center, Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, Gujarati Samaj of Houston, and Indo-American Charity Foundation along with other Indo-American Organizations are extending the invitation to you, your family and friends to join the prayer meeting for the Tsunamis' victims and their bereaved family members, organized by the Jewish Community.

The event will also include Government leaders and representatives from the nation of India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and others. We hope you will plan to attend this important event to express our concern and compassion for those who have been touched by this disaster, and also to show our appreciation to Jewish Community for organizing such an event.

The services will be held at 7:30 P.M. Sunday, January 9, 2005 at Congregation Emanu El, 1500 Sunset Blvd., Houston. For directions, please click èè Directions

Please forward this email to your friends, relatives, and members of your religious or social organizations.

For further information about the event, please call: IAPAC - Jagat Kamdar 281-460-6771 & Dinesh Shah 281-242-8494 IACC - Dr. Randhir Sinha 281 332 2464 & Jagdip Ahluwalia 832-746-8372 ¡ü ICC - Vale Subramaniam 281-685-0081 Gujarati Samaj - Prakash Patel 281-596-9956 ¡ü IACF - Manmeet Likhari 281-265-2872

Tsunami Report from Ramakrishna Math-Kolkata

2005-01-08T09:02:00.000-08:00

Detailed report of the relief work done by Ramakrishana Mission in India Sri Lanka and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands -- (Forwarded by) Mr.Sundaram Iyer Seethalakshmi sseethalakshmi@hotmail.com

www.geocities.com/hsitah9/Tsunamireportason041005.doc

Self-less service rendered by Sewa International organization

2005-01-07T18:13:00.000-08:00

Visit : www.sewainternational.com

Tsunami relief work: Self-less service rendered by Sewa International organization

Our tributes to the hundredsof swayamsevaks (hindu volunteers) who have been rendering and continue to render seva (service to society).

This is perhaps among the best offerings to Hindumahasagar Samaj in this extraordinary moment of grief -- an affirmation of vasudhaiva kutumbakam (the world is a family). -- Kalyanaraman

Art of Living Foundation gives Rs.150 crore tsunami aid

2005-01-07T13:58:00.000-08:00

Saturday January 8 2005 00:00 IST
IANS
http://www.newindpress.com/coastalcalamity/News.asp?Topic=-

367&Title=&ID=IE920050107105319&nDate=&Sub=&Cat=&

COLOMBO: Indian spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,www.artofliving.org/v2/index.asp
touring tsunami-hit areas in Sri Lanka, has donated
Rs.1.5 billion through his Art of Living Foundation
towards relief operations in Sri Lanka and India.

The spiritual leader oversaw relief work being done by
volunteers of the Art of Living Foundation www.artofliving.org/v2/index.aspin this
island nation.

For relief operations in Sri Lanka, the first
consignment of tents worth $60,000 has arrived in
Colombo. Volunteers are visiting affected areas in Sri
Lanka including Jaffna. Forty doctors from the
foundation are working in the medical camps.

The foundation is planning to set up orphanages and
homes for destitute women in the affected areas in
India and Sri Lanka.

On Thursday, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar met Prime Minister
Mahinda Rajpakse and discussed emergency relief
measures and long-term rehabilitation of the affected
people.

The foundation is running a large refugee camp in Port
Blair, Andamans. Two hundred tonnes of relief material
has been airlifted to the Andamans Islands and 300,000
litres of drinking water sent, a foundation release
said.

The spiritual leader is visiting tsunami-hit people in
Tamil Nadu on Friday.

VPS Efforts for Tsunami Relief

2005-01-07T07:26:00.000-08:00

By Rajiv Ramaratnam

The impact of the Tsunami and its aftermath has left behind a trail of carnage, death and destruction on several countries across the globe. The members of Vrindavana Preservation Society are committed to doing everything in their power to alleviate the grief of the victims of this disaster.

Some of us have lost loved ones. Some among us are missing friends or relatives. Many of our brothers or sisters have suffered major injuries. In fact this catastrophe has impacted some members of VPS personally.

It has always been our goal to extend help, support and comfort to everyone we can. As firm believers in the power of prayer, VPS has organized several Bhajans, chanting sessions and readings from the Bhagavat Gita to pray for the victims and comfort their families.

VPS plans to conduct more of these sessions in the forthcoming weeks. These sessions are open to all interested parties. Please visit www.vps-international.org and visit the Tsunami relief page for more information on the Bhajan sessions.

Prayers alone will not be enough. In the spirit of Karma Yoga, a few VPS members, Dennis Kelley, Charran Mahadeo, Nick Cavallo and Keshav Shukla, have decided to visit Chennai and help with the Tsunami Relief efforts. VPS President Keshav Shukla and the others will join Venkata Dayanandan a member of VPS who relocated to Chennai two years ago. Venkata is presently volunteering to help those affected by the Tsunami

Their efforts will include
Supporting schools, which were destroyed by the Tsunami.
Supporting centers for those rendered homeless by the disaster
Distribution soap, water, food, clothing etc.
Organizing and conducting Bhajan programs in the local temples.
Helping with cleaning projects.
Distribution of fliers containing information on healthiest

If you have not yet donated to any organization then please consider donating a check payable to VPS. VPS will be working with the local people and 100% of your donation will be used for the cause. Your donations are tax deductible.

Please send your donation to
Vrindavan Preservation Society, 226 Billings Street, Quincy

Please write “Tsunami Relief Donation” on the memo section of the check.

We thank you in advance for your generosity.

It is in times like these that our resolve is tested. Let us stay united as one family and aid the victims and the grief-stricken in every possible way. Even if we reduce this ocean of suffering by a drop, it will not be wasted effort. Please keep us in your prayers so that we may continue to do this selfless service. For more information on VPS, visit us online at www.vps-international.org.

Put your faith in Him and have no other thought; By his grace you shall have peace

-Bhagavad Gita

RELIEF WORK IN TAMILNADU BY ABVP

2005-01-06T15:35:00.000-08:00

TSUNAMI DISASTER, AFTERMATH AND RELIEF WORK IN TAMILNADU BY ABVP

Monster Tsunami (killer tidal waves) unleashed by a massive earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale, off Sumatra coast in Indonesia struck the entire coast of Tamil Nadu at around 8.30am on 26th Dec 2004. This was preceded by mild tremors of different magnitudes in different parts of Tamil Nadu. The worst affected areas in Tamil Nadu are the Nagapattinam district and the adjoining Cuddalore district. At Chennai children playing on the marina beach and the morning walkers on the beach were washed away by the Tidal waves. At Kanyakumari devotees who were engaged in the holly dip in the seashore were completely washed away by high tides.

Outcome of Tsunami in Coastal T.N

• Over 10 Lakhs rendered Homeless
• More than 10 thousand dead
• Another 15 thousand Missing
• Still the casualty could not be ascertained

According to the official sources human loss in Tamil Nadu, till 29th Dec 2004, is about 7500 (Including pony). Thousands are reported missing and lakhs rendered homeless. But the actual toll may cross 15000 because most of missing were buried under the earth. Old aged persons; women and children were mostly perished in the seashore. Most of the fishermen hamlets along the coastal Tamil Nadu have been complete by washed away by seawater and the total property loss may amount to Thousands of crores.

The relief work involving the removal of dead bodies and disposing them off and providing food and shelter to the survivors were immediately undertaken by the government agencies and a number of voluntary organizations and is still continuing. Public response to the relief work is spontaneous. In spite of greater efforts, the relief work is yet to reach some of the remote areas. In Nagapattinam where the damage is extensive, the search for the dead bodies and survivors still goes on. Heavy rain on 27th Dec 2004 also hampered the relief activities. There is fear among the public about the spread of epidemic diseases and revival of Tsunami attack.

Participation of ABVP in the relief work

As in the previous occasions, volunteers of Sangha Pariwar organizations were the first to reach the places of disaster for rescue and relief operations. At Chennai RSS organized two relief centers, one in north Chennai and another in south Chennai, to coordinate the relief works. In Nagapattinam, relief work undertaken by RSS is more than the one by the district administration. The Sangha karyakarthas are working under the banner of ‘SEVABHARATHI, TAMILNADU’.

Through out the state ABVP workers responded spontaneously and involved in different kinds of relief activities. At Chennai a four-member team immediately visited the affected areas with in Two hours and started rescuing people to safer places by involving a group of Parishad workers. food packets water packets and clothes were distributed at 6 centers for 2 days. In Kanyakumari district our workers engaged in rescue works in different locations. At Madurai, Trichy, and Coimbatore Parishad workers started material collection. They have also deputed some workers to Nagapattinam (The worst affected area) to join the RSS volunteers working there.

What ABVP has done within Three days

• 12,000 Food Packets and 40,000 Water Packets, 20 carton boxes clothes distributed in Chennai and suburban areas. Around 50 workers actively Involved
• 200 Activists from 4 districts has gone to Nagapattinam to carry out relief work – working along with Seva Bharathi
• Two lorry loads of materials including Rice, Blankets, Medicines, Bread, Biscuit Packets dispatched from Madurai to Nagapattinam
• Collected Medicines, Clothes, Blankets, Food grains
• In Kanyakumari district, our volunteers were engaged in the rescue and relief operations in different of localities.

Further relief measures Planned by ABVP,TN

Now we are planning in bigger way to go ahead with relief and rehabilitation programmes. ABVP has decided to undertake rehabilitation work in selected areas only. Some of the further plans are …

• Distribution of food, clothing, Bedding
• Ascertaining loss on school education and providing necessary material assistance
• Medical Checkup for School Children
• Working in Nagapattinam for either burying or burning dead bodies

What is required?

• Donate New Clothes & Blankets
• Donate Medicines
• Donate Food Items, Bread and Biscuits
• Donate Note Books, Text Books and other School Stationeries
• Donate Cash to do relief activities in the Affected Areas

Time to act

• It is an occasion to share others pain, grief and Sorrows and also “Contribute a small token of Money or in any form of kind”

Where to Donate

ABVP
No: 35 Shivaji Street
T.Nagar
Chennai – 600 017
Ph: 044 – 24343457
044 – 24312359
abvp_tn@vsnl.net
abvpsurendran@yahoo.com

• You can send cheques in the name of “ ABVP TSUNAMI RELEIF FUND “- Payable at Chennai

• For IT exemption under 80 G draw cheque in the name of “Elaya Bharatham Seva Trust” - payable at Chennai

Auroville rallies to help Pondicherry fisherfolk:::Francois Gautier

2005-01-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

December 30, 2004

The first wave of the tsunami hit the Pondichery and Tamil Nadu coast at 8 am on December 26. Seven thousand people died on the spot.

By 9.30 am, a team from Auroville, the international township inspired by the Mother and Sri Aurobindo, and which is situated near Pondichery, swung into action. A first emergency meeting was called in the house of two Auroville residents and it was immediately decided to set up a camp for the people affected by the tidal waves.

By 12 pm, eight tents and seven shamianas were erected on a field near one of the Auroville communities. Two portable 5,000 litres tanks, two generators, a field kitchen with four cooking ranges, monitored by eight ladies and four cooks, were put into service. Three of Auroville's load carriers, two tractors and two buses to pick up refugees were also commissioned.

The camp was manned by more than 60 Tamil youth from the villages within Auroville as well as many Aurovillians from all parts of the world.

By 2 pm, 750 people were fed and 350 food packets distributed. All throughout the afternoon, refugees kept streaming in. Another 1,200 people were fed in the evening. Blankets were arranged as the night was cold and windy.

On the second day, everyone was moved to the Kuilapalayam Trust School, which is run by Auroville, as there was a threat of rain. The refugees were spread out in eight buildings as well as two tents. Food was cooked this time for 1,400 people; another 500 food packets were prepared for distribution. Clothes and blankets were handed out.

The extent of the disaster was becoming clear by then. A quick survey was conducted amongst the villages and the Auroville communities that dot the beach. In Ganagashetikkam, a village of fishermen at the extreme limit of Pondicherry, the Auroville team was met by extreme desolation: the mud houses on the beach front had been destroyed or washed away. Broken furniture lay besides the road, television sets beyond repair were put into the sun to dry, pieces of thatched roof blocked the road, power lines had fallen down, the steps leading to an old temple had collapsed.

Three days after the catastrophe, women were wailing in sheer desolation. On the beach, the team met Ranjani (left). That fateful morning, her parents had gone to the market to sell the fish they had caught earlier that morning and she was left alone with her three-year-old little sister, Anasuya. She was cooking the morning's meal, when suddenly her sister clung onto her. Ranjani looked up and saw a huge wave advancing towards the house.

"I climbed onto a stool. As the water reached my shoulders, I clung onto a rafter from the roof with one hand while holding my screaming sister with the other," she sobbed. "After a few minutes my hands went numb and suddenly I saw that my sister had disappeared."

Ranjani cried and cried for help, but nobody came. Anasuya was found a few hours later, a kilometre upstream in the flooded village, dead. Tweenty-six other people, mostly children and the elderly, lost their lives. Seventy-five houses were destroyed and 265 families affected one way or the other by the tsunami which hit Ganagashetikkam.

Next to Ganagashetikkam, one finds Eternity, an Auroville beach community. There lives a wonderful family: Yuval, the father, is an Israeli, his wife Hannah (right) is from Holland. They have five children, all raised in Auroville, each of them speaking several languages. Twenty years ago, Yuval and his family settled down on a piece of barren land on the beach where nothing grew. With hard work and dedication, they turned it into a green forest, a place of beauty and peace. They also painstakingly built houses in the community, mostly using local material: mud walls, palmyra leaves, thatch roofs, with one solitary concrete house.

On the morning of the 26th, Hannah had one of her daughters, Jitta, with her. Jitta has two children: a daughter of two and a son who is barely eight months old. As usual in Auroville, where everybody sleeps early, everyone woke at 6 am for early morning tea in the community kitchen. At 6.30 am, Yuval felt the earth shake and asked his wife in jest, "if she was dancing on the bed." At 8.15 am, Jitta decided to put her son back to sleep on the ground floor of a house which was 200 metres away.

Everything looked so peaceful and no different from a thousand other mornings in the Eternity beach community. Suddenly Hannah heard a noise that sounded like the rushing of water. She went outside. "I saw this huge wave rushing toward me and it immediately flashed in my mind: 'Tidal Wave'." She grabbed her granddaughter, climbed to the first floor and asked her daughter to rush and get her son.

Jitta ran, with the water already swirling around her, got her baby just as he was being swept away, shouted at two guests who were sleeping in another hut -- who would have otherwise died -- and seeing that there was no way to go back to where her mother was, ran towards higher ground on the opposite side of Eternity beach.Yuval and Hannah saw no sign of Jitta and her son and thought they had died. "We screamed and screamed and scanned every part of the community. The water was still rising," Hannah recalls, weeping.

When the second wave receded, they found their daughter and grandchild alive.

Yuval and Hannah have lost everything and are painstakingly trying to salvage some of their personal belongings, thanks to an amazing wave of solidarity amongst Aurovillians and a lot of help from the nearby village.

"I put so much work in this land and God took everything back, but he spared our lives and that is a miracle," says Hannah. Like the other residents of Ganagashetikkam, their lives have been shattered. Hannah still breaks down from time to time when she recalls the time she thought her daughter and grandson were dead, taken away by the terrible tsunami.

By the fourth day, it became clear to Aurovillians that they had to shift from immediate relief measures to long-term solutions for the affected villages.

Houses had to be rebuilt, lives had to be rebuilt, and more than that, fishermen the most affected group in Tamil Nadu, had to be given back their dignity, that is the means to earn their livelihood once more; that means boats and fishing nets, which were destroyed by the tsunami.This is why it was decided to form a more permanent group. Areas were divided into north and south zone (villages) with a team and a leader each, to assess needs. A food group was constituted to stock and distribute food. A communication cell with an office, telephone, computers, an e-mail and a web site was obtained from Auroville.

Transparency was ensured by creating an accounting team and channeling funds through two newly created accounts in Auroville's existing financial infrastructure which offers a tax rebate and a foreign donations facility (see below).

"What we need," one team member said, "is approximately Rs 50,000 (about $1,000) to rebuild a house, Rs 100,000 (about $2,000) for a boat with an engine and another Rs 100,000 for fishing nets. Thus a total of Rs 250,000 (about $5,000) per affected family. We have taken charge of 225 families in our area. It is a lot of money."

How to contribute to the Auroville Tsunami Fund

FOREIGN FUNDS

BANK TRANSFER via SWIFT following details:

Bank Name: State Bank of India
Branch: Auroville International Branch
Branch Code: 03160
Beneficiary Account Name: AV Fund Foreign
Beneficiary Account Number: 01000060095
Details/other Information: Village Flood Relief OR Auroville Beaches Relief

SWIFT CODE: SBININBB474

Under details please specify if you want the funds to go to Village Relief or for Auroville Beaches Relief. You could also give a percentage allocation.

FOREIGN CHEQUES

Please make your cheques payable to "Auroville Fund - Foreign" and send to the address below.

INDIAN FUNDS

Cheque/DD to be made payable to "AUROVILLE FUND". On the reverse of the cheque please write if it is meant for Village Flood Relief OR Auroville Beaches Relief.

DDs payable at Pondicherry.

Please send the cheques to:

Auroville Tsunami Rehabilitation
Opposite Aurelec, Kuilapalayam
Auroville 605 101, Tamil Nadu, India.
E-mail tsunami@auroville.org.in
Phone: 0413 - 2622184.

Please note that Indian donations are exempted under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act.

Francois Gautier

Live-wire Narendra Modi leaves even Central Government speechless

2005-01-06T15:22:00.000-08:00

Live-wire Narendra Modi leaves even Central Government speechless

Author: Ravindra Dani

Publication: Mumbai Tarun Bharat

Date: December 31, 2004

New Delhi, 30th - (Agencies)

Following the terrible Tsunami waves to the South India, while deliberations were being held to convene the meeting of Crisis Management Group (CMG), the Chief Minister of a state on Western Coast, Gujarat, was presiding over the meeting of its CMG.

The meeting of CMG of Gujarat was held first and meeting CMG of Central Government later. The high speed with which the CM of Gujarat made preparations to meet the coming calamity has left the officers of Central Government amazed.

Following is a look at the style of functioning of Narendra Modi.

Morning: 9.30: Meeting of the team for Disaster Management

Morning: 10.30: Decision of helping Tsunami victims

Morning: 11.00: Message of consolation and sympathy sent to chief of the governments of Thailand, Sumatra, Indonesia.

Afternoon: 2.00 p.m. Programme of relief operations sketched and stocktaking
done.

Evening: 5.00 Two planes loaded with relief equipment ready for flight.

Tsunami waves had hit Tamilnadu, Keral, and Andaman-Nicobar. But the lightening speed with which Modi was engaged in the relief work, has earned the admiration of the Central Government officers.

Modi established a control room for relief work in Gandhinagar. In this work, he took a very important step. To keep contact with Tamilnadu Government, he selected Tamil speaking officers from Gujarat, for coordinating with Kerala, he selected Malayalam Officers and he did the same thing about Andaman. He was in constant touch with Lt Government of Andaman, Ram Kapse to get a chance for the planes from Gujarat to land on the Port Blair aerodrome.

He was personally supervising what material should be sent to South Indian states. While selecting the material for relief work, the officers had listed Kurta and Pyjama. Modi corrected to read it as "Lungi - Shirt". The officers did not have the presence of mind to remember that where the relief material was being sent, people wear Lungi and Shirts and not Kurta-Pyjama, but Modi had it.

While the Disaster Management team of Central Government was surveying the areas, Modi selected 67 highly affected talukas and appointed 67 Officers. Every officer was directed to look after his own Taluka. He also directed them to take the cooperation of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and other voluntary organization.

www.savarkariahindutwa@yahoo.com

Vivekananda Kendra, Port Blair relief activities : REPORT

2005-01-06T09:39:00.000-08:00

Vivekanda Kendra, Port Blair

Vivekananda Kendra, Port Blair has taken up relief activities in a
regular basis and the details are as follows:

*) In the fisheries colony of the Port Blair municipal area (ward nos.
7, 8 & 9), we have distributed Rice, Dal, Masala, other food items
like milk, biscuits and toiletries to the people for a couple of days.
Drinking water was also provided in this locality.

*) Medical team led by Dr. Sai Lakshmi from Chennai, Dr. Ashok
Subramaniam (ENT specialist from the G B Pant Hospital) and Dr. Milind
Sharad Kulkarni conducted medical camps by which, the following
villages were benefited: Chouldari, Guptapara, Manjeri, New Wandoor,
Sippi Ghat, Hasmatabad, Wandoor, Manglutan, and Fishermen colony of
Port Blair.

*) Clothes (New and old) and 2800 T-shirts with picture of Swami
Vivekananda were distributed.

*) Along with Seva Bharati, Kendra volunteers also have gone to conduct
survey and medical camp) in the most affected island of Andaman â€“ Hut
Bay.

*) Teams of V K V teachers visited the victims' houses in Junglighat
area and cleaned their submerged houses.

*) Separate teams of teachers are regularly visiting the relief camps
of Port Blair, Chouldari, Wandoor, Manglutan, Guptapara, Manjeri,
Garacharma, Bhatu Basti, Sippi Ghat, Hasmatabad and nearby areas to
entertain the affected children by patriotic songs and interesting
games, to reduce the effect of the trauma caused by the tragedy.

*) Also our Karyakartas find time to sit and talk with the affected
people of the relief camp to share their feelings and hence reducing
their depression. This was highly appreciated by many among them.

*) Apart from this we have distributed sanitary items, toiletries,
clothes and food items by enquiring the specific need individually.

*) 'Dweep Peedit Sahayata Samity' â€“ the joint action team formed by all
like-minded organisations to take up the relief and rehabilitation
works through out the Andaman district has its head office functioning
in Vivekananda Kendra premises, Port Blair.

Secretary,
06-01-2005

Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari

Report on the emergency relief provided to those affected by Tsunami
in Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts

Vivekananda Kendra provided material assistance worth about Rs.4 lakhs
and this was distributed on three days, viz., 29, 30 & 31 December.
Shri A. Balakrishnanji, Vice President, Shri Bhanudasji, General
Secretary, Sister Shantha, Secretary, RDP, Shri P. Thangaswamiji,
Administrative Officer, Shri Avinashji, Public Relations Officer, and
many social workers of RDP took part in the functions. The local
officials and the general pubic also extended their cooperation and
participated. Vivekananda Kendra has taken up a massive total
rehabilitation of 1,000 affected families in Kanyakumari & Tirunelveli
Dts, supported by the Help-age India.

Relief provided to individual families

Provided with sarees, skirts, dhoties, towels, plates, tumbers, soap, oil etc.:

1. Kanyakumari Dist.Sambasivapuram village, Collachel. (Kurunthankode
Block): 70 families

2.Muttam & Azhikal villages Vellichanthai (Kurunthankode Block): 240 families

3. Veerabagupathi and Keelaputhalam villages, Rajakkamangalam Block: 39 families

4. Tirunelveli District Idinthakarai village, Radhapuram Block: 98 families

Material provided at the venues of relief camps

Periavillai village, Kurunthancode Block: Two bags of rice, other
provisions, vegetables, bread & biscuits; valuee Rs, 5000

Vellichanthai Kurunthancode Block, Thalavaipuram Kurunthancode Block,
DVD Government Higher Secondary School, Nagercoil : Milk powder, Bread
and Biscuits, Phenol, Bleaching powder; value Rs. 2000 for each of
three blocks

CHENNAI AREA

300 Families were given a kit consisting : a big plastic bucket, a
mug, twp plates, a glass, a stove, a mat, a bed sheet, two vessels, a
ladle - in the villages of Karikaattu kuppam, Kovalam and Nadu
kuppam. The total value will be Rs. 1,50,000/-

200 Families near Cuddalore were given the above kits worth Rs. 1,00,000/-

3500 persons were fed on 26th in a community kitchen.
For Andaman & Nicobar Islands : Consignments worth Rs. 8,00,000/- in
the form of clothing and food material was sent.

Relief work for tsunami victims conducted by AIM for Seva
(a compilation)

Update from AIM For Seva Disaster Relief Centre, 30 December 2004
Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Anaikatti

Dear Sevaks,

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Below is a brief update of the help being rendered at Pondicherry,
Chennai and Tirunelveli.

Today AIM for Seva Tirunelveli called for help. We sent a truck-load
of rice, dal and utensils which is most needed there at this time for
the victims of the tragedy.

We request our sevaks to please stop collecting clothes, as all our
areas of help have more than adequate clothing. We now require help
mainly in collecting funds and directing them to Anaikatti,
Coimbatore.

In terms of materials, people may send food materials such as rice,
dal and oil; mats, bedsheets, cooking utensils, plates, steel
tumblers, spoons. If at all people insist on giving clothes, request
them for new clothes only.

SITE HELP

From Pondicherry:

A group of people went along with old cloths, blankets, ricebags,
sugar, oil and distributed in Kalapet area and Devanampattinam area of
Cuddalore. Here in Pondicherry the government is helping in full
swing. We, as AIM for Seva, are concentrating more in Tamilnadu areas
from Parangipettai in Chidambaram to east coast upto Marakanam.
With the monetary contributions from the members, bread loafs and
biscuits were brought and distributed to the affected regions. The
past three days a group of around 5 to 7 members of AIM for Seva,
Pondicherry Chapter, have been working the entire day for the affected
people.The Puthupattu temple is where clothes and food packets were
given.

From Chennai:

Collection of money, clothes and other items from different apartment
complexes and houses was carried out by AIM for Seva Chennai for
distribution in the coastal villages.
One load of material was sent to Kovalam/Kelambakkam area yesterday
where a new relief camp at Pudukalpakkam was opened near the Crocodile
farm on the East Coast Road. 140 people were identified stranded in
this area and distribution of food and water was started. The nearby
Mariamman temple is the venue for the distribution of food etc for
these people.

On the 29th December, the AIM for Seva Chenai team went to Kovalam and
other coastal villages upto Kokkilamedu near Kalpakkam to survey the
area. The villagers are receiving sufficient food and clothes for now.
When asked what they are planning to do in the near future to get on
with their livelihood, they all told that when the waves hit, they
just ran without taking anything with them. They are just now
returning back and looking into the damages. All the properties like
houses, boats and nets are either damaged or totally lost. They need
monetary help to put things together again and start their life. They
said that their priority is to get back to their job and that they
don't even need food and other materials if they can start venturing
into the sea again.

AIM for Seva Chennai plans to adopt Kovalam and some other villages
around Kovalam to provide them with sustainable livelihood. Monetary
help in the form of aid or interest free or low interest loans will be
provided so that they can buy new boats and nets or repair their
damaged properties and get back to work.
A boat costs around Rs. 80000 and the cost of nets range from Rs.
5000- Rs. 20000. Even to repair a boat it may cost more than Rs. 10000
per boat, depending on the damage; and it may cost up to Rs.5000 to
repair a net.

In the Kovalam area around 40 houses have also been damaged and
assistance in rebuilding their houses, maybe in different and safer
areas will be carried out under AIM for Seva under the village
adoption scheme. The books and note books of the children have been
destroyed. Hence there is an immediate need to provide assistance so
that they can buy books and pay school fees to continue with their
education.

The AIM for Seva team resumed collecting relief materials to be able
to render help to the villagers when they need it. Right now, the
priority is to collect money and provisions and then provide them
assistance to start their work. Government has announced monetary
assistance for those who are affected to rebuild their houses and
boats. We will also be working to make sure the government funds reach
the proper beneficiaries and take help from government wherever it is
possible.

Please send information and enquiries to
lasaji@vsnl.com Phone calls may go to 0422-2657001 /02.
With prayers and love,
Swamini Pramananda
* * *
Update from AIM for Seva Disaster Relief Centre 02/01/2005
Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Anaikatti

Dear Gurubhais and Sevaks,
As the focus has begun to shift from material relief to possibilities
of reconstruction and rehabilitation work in various areas, our AIM
for Seva volunteers are in different areas such as Nagapattinam,
Cuddalore, Pondicherry, Chennai exploring ways in which AIM for Seva
can work with the officials in this regard.
Given below is a report that was shared with us from Manjakkudi - A
group of 800 people, the panic stricken victims of the Tsunami
disaster, mainly women and children, left their homes and belongings
and had taken shelter in a Kalyana Mandapam at Koradacheri near
Manjakkudi. One band of AIM for Seva volunteers from Manjakkudi
organized food supply to the affected group. After two days the
villagers returned to their homes. They were provided transport using
Manjakkudi college buses.
On December 30, 2004, our AIM for Seva volunteers visited the harbour
area near Nagapattinam to get an overview of the extent of damage
caused by the Tsunami. There was devastation as far as the sight could
see. Most of the houses had been flattened to the ground. The fishing
vessels were scattered all over the area. The weight of each vessel is
more than 20 tons and is valued at Rs. 40 lakhs each. Some of them
smashed together in a group. Thousands of dead bodies had been
disposed off. AIMfor Seva along with volunteers from other
organizations had been working round the clock and altogether handled
the cremation of over 2000 bodies.
The next day, 31st of December 2004, the volunteers went to Seruthur.
An eerie silence greeted them. It was a picture of desolation and
destruction in the wake of the Tsunami. There were over 650 houses in
that village, of which 300 houses had been swept away. Of the 200
dead, most of them were children and women. One of the local residents
said that in the stretch between Vedaranyam and Tharangampadi, a whole
generation of children has been swept away.
AIM for Seva is surveying with the government officials various
options for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the survivors of
the Tsunami affected in the Nagapattinam area.
We are grateful to our AIM for Seva centers in Pune, Surat, Bangalore,
Delhi and Rishikesh for their immediate response in sending relief
materials.
With love and prayers,
Swamini Pramananda
* * *
Update from AIM for Seva Disaster Relief Centre 03/01/2005
Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Anaikatti

Dear Gurubhais and Sevaks,
Om Namo Narayanaya
The influx of relief materials flooding in the Tsunami affected areas,
has taught us that there is no scarcity of anything in the world. Our
world is rich not only in material wealth but also in the human hearts
which, rich in generosity, share with their fellow human beings
whatever they can, in times of need.
We are grateful to all of you, who have come forward to support AIM
for Seva work in the Tsunami affected areas, with material and
financial contributions, pouring out your heart in empathy. We have
reached a stage in our work now, where we need to step up our efforts
to the next level of rehabilitation of the affected areas. This
includes repairing the boats and the nets, and helping the fishermen,
bring back their lives to normalcy as soon as possible. We also have
plans for the reconstruction of the homes for many who lost
everything. For all this work, we need huge sums of funds.
We appeal to you all to support the rehabilitation and reconstruction
work by your generous donations. Help us to help the Tsumani affected
people. Even though our relief work was spread out to various coastal
areas, our rehabilitation work will be concentrated to a few villages
in Tiruvarur and Cuddalore districts.
Given below is our brief Site report from Pondichery-Cuddalore
Relief material was sent from Coimbatore to Cuddalore. Aim for Seva
volunteers from Pondichery helped in receiving, sorting and recording
the material dispatched from Coimbatore.
The district administration is struggling with the flood of materials
received at the camps set up for receiving materials. Volumes as 2500
tons of relief materials (which does not include clothes) have
arrived. More number of lorries and trucks are arriving from different
parts of the country without any clue to as to where to deliver or
distribute the material. The Government has prevented private agencies
from receiving relief materials. The government has taken over the
relief material distribution to the affected families. Unfortunately
there has been wayside looting of trucks carrying relief material on
the outskirts of the town.
There is an influx of large number of people in the relief camps
demanding cooked food, clothes and blankets. This is due to the fact
that the Government has banned fishing for the next 30 days for the
fishermen-folk. This is because of the contamination of the shoreline
due to dead bodies and carcasses of animals. These fishermen, are from
the villages which were not affected by Tsunami. But they also need to
be given food until government allows them to resume their normal
life.
Our volunteers are exploring the possibilities of constructing
dwelling places, community hall cum classroom for primary school
children in villages to the north of Pondicherry and also in Cuddalore
district.
With love and prayers,
Swamini Pramananda

* * * * * * * * *

Donations to AIM for Seva should be sent :

(a) IN INDIA, contributions are exempted under Sec. 80G of the IT
act. Cheques / Drafts may be drawn in favour of "AIM for Seva",
Coimbatore and sent directly to:
All India Movement for Seva
c/o Swamini Pramananda
Arsha Vidya Gurukulam
Anaikatti Post
Coimbatore 641 108
(Tamil Nadu)
Tel: 0422- 2657001 /02

(b) IN THE USA, make a tax-deductible donation on-line @
www.aimforseva.org [Note: please check "Tsunami Support" after
clicking the "DONATE NOW" button.] or Send your check/Credit card info
to:

All India Movement (AIM) for Seva
c/o Janet Falk
PO Box 639
Saylorsburg, PA 18353
http://www.aimforseva.org
(570) 402-1244 (phone), (570) 992-9680 (fax)
janetf@aimforseva.org

Report on Relief work Seva Bharathi at Nagapattinam

2005-01-06T06:56:00.000-08:00

By Anbudan ,Nambi Narayanan

Brief report about the relief work being carried out by Seva Bharathi at Nagapattinam.

SEVABHARATHI TAMILNADU

Regd. Office: 7, Alagappa Road, Purasawalkam, Chennai â€“ 600 084

Admn. Office: 12, M.V.Naidu, Panchavati, Chetpet, Chennai â€“ 600 031

Camp: GMP Kalyana Mandapam, Nanayakkara Street, Nagapattinam

A Brief report on the Relief Work carriedout by SEVA BHARATHI since
26th December 2004 at the TSUNAMI affected Nagapattinam District of
Tamil Nadu.

Seva Bharathi Tamilnadu in association with the volunteers of the RSS
and associate organizations immediately entered the affected areas
within hours of the Tsunami strike in the coastal areas. Actually in
some areas the volunteers plunged into relief work even when there was
a severe threat of Tsunami again and again.

Seva Bharathi, a nationalist service organization, had undertaken such
big task earlier also in Lattur (Maharashtra), Uttarkasi (UP), Punjab
and Gujarat.

In Nagapattinam, Seva Bharathi has started relief work within a couple
of hours atter the Tsunami strike. Swayamsevaks from various parts of
tamilnadu and Karnataka collected relief materials and sent them to
the base camp at nagapattinam. Also many spiritually oriented service
organizations from various parts of the country sent the materials
which they have collected. So that they could be distributed
efficiently with equanimity.

A detailed look at the day to day service given below will give us an
idea about the service being rendered by Seva Bharathi.

List of Services being rendered

Date-wise Distribution
No. of Volunteers took part
Disposal of deceased Bodies

FP- Food packes; BB-Bread and biscuit packets; WP-water packets; NoV -
number of volunteers; NoD - number of dead bodies disposed of
26 Dec. 2004: 2000 FP; 5000 BB; 5000 WP; 100 NoV; 60 NoD
27 Dec. 2004: 6000 FP; 7000 BB; 5000 WP; 300 NoV; 850 NoD
28 Dec. 2004: 10000 FP; 20000 BB; 20000 WP; 1000 NoV; 600 NoD
29 Dec. 2004: 12000 FP; 15000 BB; 20000 WP 1200 NoV; 600 NoD
30 Dec. 2004: 12500 FP; 10000 BB; 20000 WP; 800 NoV; 115 NoD
31 Dec. 2004: 15000 FP; 10000 BB; 20000 WP; 800 NoV; 116 NoD
1 Jan. 2005: 11000 FP; 7500 BB; 15000 WP; 570 NoV 15 NoD
2 Jan. 2005: 8000 FP; 5000 BB; 15000 WP; 400 NoV;
3 Jan. 2005: 5000 FP; 5000 BB; 15500 WP; 380 NoV;
4 Jan. 2005: 2500 BB; 17000 WP 360 NoV;
5 Jan. 2005: 3000 BB; 17000 WP; 300 NoV
Total 83500 FP; 90000 BB; 169500 WP -----; 1798 NoD

On 26th the relief work was carried out through out the night. All the
deceased bodies were removed and disposed in co ordination with the
Governmental relief team. Initially on 27th and 28th the concentration
was mainly focussed on identification of bodies and handing them over
to the relatives. The works were carried out in co-operation with
Revenue, Police and Health department.

On 29th due to the announcement of another Tsunami attack work came to
a halt at 11:30am. Since then more than 60 doctors, (24 from
Karnataka) split into the team of 8 have been conducting Medical camps
in all the coastal villages and the Relief Camps.

List of food and other materials distributed in the Nagapattinam
District (three base camps) as on 05.01.2005

Rice: 450 tonnes
Dhal: 3500 kg
Bread and biscuit packets: 1,10,000
Water packets, 250ml: 1,90,000
Cloth pieces: 60,000
Bed sheet pieces: 5,500
Mat pieces: 5,000
Vegetable: 10,000kg
Milk powder: 500kg

More than 1,00,000 Food packets distributed so for.

Rice, Vegetables, Dhall, Milk powder, Utencils such as tumbler,
plates, cooking vessels, cooking stoves and bed sheets, mats, water
buckets, footwears, dress materials and medicines received from
various parts of the country have been distributed.

So for Essential commodities worth Rs. 70 Lakhs Utensils worth Rs. 16
Lakhs. Medicine worth 12 Lakhs. Mate, Bed sheet, Dress materials and
other items worth Rs. 17 Lakhs, running to a total of 1.15 crore have
been distributed with more and more materials pouring in various parts
of the country.

To help Water supply process, RSS has installed a mineral water plant
in Nagapattinam. This plant has started supplying 20,000 litres of
pure drinking water free of cost to the affected people everyday.

Woman Volunteers are visiting all the affected villages and doing
counseling works. The 38 Tsunami affected villages were covered by our
medical team and more than 10500 people belonging to the affected
peoples were benefited. Also medical service was rendered to the non
Tsunami affected area to prevent out break of epidemics. Thousands of
people benefited.

So far our volunteers have removed and disposed off 1798 deceased bodies.

It is ensured that all relief measures are being undertaken in the
entire east coast areas even in those places where there is no human
loss but livelihood has been largely affected.

Keeping in view the long term rehabilitation of the affected people.
Surveys are being conducted accessing the over all losses. 15 base
camps have been setup all over Tamil Nadu (along th East Coast)

In Nagapattinam District alone there are Base Camps at Vedaranyam,
Sirkali and Nagapattinam. More than 1500 Volunteers including 100
women, Doctors, Engineers, Advocates, Auditor are in the relief team.

In the near by Pondicherry union Teritory we are running a camp at
Karaikal where there are 250 Volunteers.

As a permanent relief measures we have proposals to adopt around 10
villages for total rehabilitation like construction / repairing of
houses and providing fishing materials. (Boat, fishing net etc.) The
following villages were identified for permanent relief work.

1. Seredur

2. Tharangampadi

3.Vedenayagam chetty street

4. Poompuhar

5. Vanagiri

6. Pudukuppam

7. Akkaraipettai

8. Keechankuppam

Also we are exploring the possibilities of adopting other villages
after due survey by our organisation.

The base Camps will continue to exist until the total rehabilitation
of the affected people.

Arya Samaj Adopts Three Villages in Nagapattanam

2005-01-06T06:50:00.000-08:00

From: aryagan@aryagan.org

Subject: Arya Samaj Adopts Three Villages in Nagapattanam
Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 10:59:38 +0530

Arya Samaj Gandhidhams News Letter
Arya Samaj Adopts Three Villages in Nagapattanam Senior Arya Samaj
leaders from Delhi, Gandhidham and Mumbai are in Tamil Nadu since Sunday to
supervise and co-ordinate the Relief work being done there by Arya
Pratinidhi Sabha Tamil Nadu. All this work is being done under the auspices
of International Arya League.

Shri Purshottam Patel our President and Shri Vachonidhi Arya our
Hon.Gen.Secretary who are also in Tamil Nadu with the team after consultation
with the government authorities’ reports that there is an excess of
relief material there now and has hence requested people not to donate in
kind but to give aid in cash which would be helpful in the
Rehabilitation phase. He says that he could see trucks of relief material reaching
the affected areas and now there is dumping of the relief material,
some of which is already rotting. Now there is an urgent requirement of
Fishing Boats and fishing nets.

The fisherman are the worst affected people of the region but the other
thing which nobody has noticed or is working for is that a lot of
agricultural land has been washed out and is now salty and uncultivable for
quite some time. The farmers will have been left with no means of
earning their livelihood. They will now have to work as labourers. We
request all noble persons to help us in rehabilitating these farmers so that
they can earn their daily bread.

Arya Samaj has adopted three villages namely Samundampettai and
Puthukupam in the Nagapattam area. The talks are on with the authorities for
the third village and we will let you know as soon as it is allotted to
us.

DRDA director of Tamil Nadu Dr. Rajaram (IAS) and the Secretary Sheela
Nair have been very co-operative to our team. They have given good
guiadiance which has proved very valuable to our team. Even the agriculture
minister of Tamil Nadu Shri Pandurangan has been very helpful.

The Government officials of the region are very helpful and are doing a
lot of work for the affected and are also guiding the NGOs’ working
there in the right manner. Their co-ordination work is very good and
commendable.

The volunteers of Arya Pratinidhi Sabha Tamil Nadu are working
ceaselessly to provide relief to the affected people. They are removing the
dead bodies and performing their last rites using Ghee and Havan Samagri.
They are also busy in the cleaning up operations and in helping the
affected people in every possible way.

We once again request all the noble persons to donate for these
affected people and thus help them in their hour of crisis and thus help us in
serving humanity.

You can send your donations to Arya Samaj Gandhidham or to Sarvadeshik
Arya Pratinidhi Sabha Delhi. Please contact us for further details. You
can mail us at araygan@aryagan.org.
________________________
We have also posted wall papers on our web site
please click on the
link given below to download the wallpapers:
http://www.aryagan.org/aryasamaj/download.asp

For Arya Samaj Gandhidham,
Dr. Rajesh Jeswani
Media Co-Ordinator.
Phone: +91-2836-231223.

E-mail: aryagan@aryagan.org
Web Site: http://www.aryagan.org

VPS members going to Chennai, India to help Tsunami victims

2005-01-05T13:14:00.000-08:00

From : Keshav Shukla
Email : keshav@vps-international.org

Dear VPS members/supporters:

Sri Radhe!

Thank you for participating in our prayer meetings. After seeing the
encouraging support from most of you, a few VPS members, Dennis Kelley, Charran
Mahadeo, Nick Cavallo and I, have decided to visit Chennai and help with the
Tsunami relief project. We will be leaving for India on January 28, 2005. We
will join Venkata, who used to live in Quincy, MA but returned to Chennai, India
last year. Venkata and other local people are working hard to help those who
were affected by the Tsunami. Our project may include one or more of the
following areas:

1) Support schools, which were destroyed by the Tsunami.
2) Support homeless centers, which are helping the people affected by
the Tsunami.
3) Distribute soap, water, food, clothing etc.
4) Organize bhajan programs in the local Mandir.
5) Help with cleaning projects.
6) Distribute health information fliers.

If you have not yet donated to any organization then please consider
donating a check payable to VPS. We will be working with the local people and 100%
of your donation will be used for the cause.

We will keep you posted regarding our activities in India. Our visit to
India will be helping the people in Chennai and then planting trees in
Vrindavana at Sri Radhavan site. We will try to be engaged in Bhajan programs and
will travel to the Rajisthan area for sightseeing. We will also engage in food
distribution to Harijan (sweeping class families) and the poor. If you
are interested in joining us please contact as by January 15th the latest.

We may not make a great difference but we will serve with devotion and
dedication to those whom the lord has touched.

Please keep us in your prayers that we may continue to do this selfless
service.

RADHE RADHE!!

Keshav Shukla
(617) 471-0129

PS. Make sure you put “Tsunami” in memo section on your check if you
want us to use your donation for Tsunami victims.

Please make out your tax-deductible donation to VPS and send it to:
226 Billings Street
North Quincy, MA 02171

US-AID funds Catholic relief services NOT Hindu charity

2005-01-05T10:04:00.000-08:00

http://usembassy.state.gov/posts/in1/wwwhmain.html

US-AID has released 1.4 million dollars for the Tsunami reliefwork. The NGO's are CARE and Catholic Relief Services.The American Govt is non-sectarian and respects the activitiesof all faith-based organizations.US-Based Hindu charity organizations should also demand tobe treated the same as other NGO's. They should demandthat funds be given to Hindu charities as well.

To stand upfor your rights and responsibilities is a very American act.I recommend that Aim For Seva and IDRF approach US-AIDand request support for their relief programs as well.

One expert suggested " This is a very sound suggestion. It is about time Hindu organizations learnt to become pro-active instead of reactive.

This is the lesson of the charity cricket match organized for tsunami
relief also. Why didn't the Hindu organizations think of this?

Even now, why don't the get some musiscians and dancers, many of whom
are sympathetic to Hindu causes, to organize charity performances? "

RELIEF WORK IN A & N ISLANDS BY SANGH PARIVAR

2005-01-05T07:07:00.000-08:00

AS ON 04.01.2005

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

572 Islands

38 Islands inhabitant

2 Districts â€“ Andaman & Nicobar

6408 Sq. Km 1926 Sq. Km

Population as per 2001 census:

Andamans District 3, 14,084

Nicobar District 42,068

Total 3, 56,152

Earthquake - 26.12.04 6:37 AM

Tsunami Wave - reached/hit

Nicobars group - 7.25 AM

Andaman group - 7.35 AM

4 numbers of waves struck at regular intervals till 9 AM

Worst hit - Nicobar group of Islands. Of which the following Tehsil
were badly hit.

(i) Nancowry Tehsil

(ii) Car Nicobar Tehsil

As per 2001 Census Population of Nancowry = 21776

Population of Car Nicobar = 20292

Govt. report on 4.01.2005 at 8.15 AM (Delhi News bulletin)

(Morning News)

818 dead body found unacceptable as per

Around 5000 still missing calculation.

Media Survey report = Half of the population in Nancowry & Car Nicobar
is washed off or Missing (After 9 days no question of survival). It
means that the death in Nicobars District is not less than 21000.

In Andamans â€“ Death reported â€“ 8 due to earthquake but heavy loss of property

Govt. Action

From 27th (Monday) to 29th (Wednesday night) Evacuation from Nicobar
group of Islands

30th Morning â€“ Evacuation stopped which again started on 3rd Jan.

Relief Camps in schools:

(School building allowed to be used. Govt. teachers gave their best duties)

Fire Brigade _ Water (insufficient)

PBMC - Water (insufficient)

Medical Assistance â€“ Doctors, Medicine, paramedical staff etc

3rd January on wards:

The Relief and Rehabilitation work entrusted to Defence under the
Unified Relief Command. Lt. Genl. BS Thakur is the in charge of the
Command.

Reports till 4th Jan Morning: Relief team with materials are
reaching/on the way. It is confirmed

They are yet to finalize policies and programmes for Rehabilitation

WHAT SANGHA PARIWAR DID/DOING

Relief Camps in Port Blair:

Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram â€“ 552 persons (By Kalyan Ashram)
Boys Sr. Sec. School - 270 persons (By VHP)
Rabindra Bangla School- 350 persons (By Sangh & Art of living)

Total No: 1172 persons

Since 29th till today more than 2,500 victims were accommodated in the
camp, later on many of them returned back or went to their relatives
or to mainland.

Other NGOs operating Relief Camp:

01. Haddo Telugu Medium School -450 persons (By Marvadi Yuva Manch)

02. Boys School Primary Section - 200 persons (By Sidco )

03. Haddo Tamil Medium School - 200 persons ( By Ramakrishna Mission)

04. Govt. Sr.Sec.School, School Line- 400 persons(By Govt. & Its NGOs)

05. Haddo Hindi Med. School - 200 persons (By Dweep Youth Club)

06. Nirmala School - 800 persons (By Christian Missionaries)

Total = 2,250 persons

Seva Bharati is providing all sorts of Medical Assistance to all these
camps along with Doctors.

Sangh and its associated organizations are visiting all these camps
round the clock and providing necessary food materials, clothing and
other essential commodities.

RELIEF CAMPS OUTSIDE PORT BLAIR

Sangh and its associated organizations are providing all sorts of
essential commodities along with medical facilities to the 7 Relief
camps (Humfreygunj-1&2, Chouldhari, New Wandoor, Wandoor Jetty, North
Wandoor and Wandoor East â€“ 2&3) outside Port Blair in which 1134
victims have taken shelter.

Relief Provided: Food, clothes, Medicine, blankets, water, doctors,
Utensils, Daily usable (Toothbrush, paste, soap etc.)

It is worth mentioning here that Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram is giving
relief, food and assistance to Nicobary tribals of Christian and
Muslim Community. Also in other camps run by Sangh Parivar is working
for people without any difference of religion, caste and creed.

Further Action: Sangh Parivar proposes to do -

1. Establishment of Temporary Community settlement in the areas
adopted by the Sangh Parivar since the schools etc are to be vacated.
Say a group of 100 peoples may be grouped in 25 each and be provided
with utensils, cooking equipments and very important grocery
materials. Book and educational kits to students of the settlement
camp will also be provided. This will be continued till it is felt to
be a need. The entire rehabilitation work will be executed under the
banner â€“ 'Dweep Peedit Sahayata Samity'

Any person or organization desirous of remitting money, the draft
should be drawn in favour " Hedgewar Smarak Parishad", Port Blair.

2. After the relocation and reallocation of areas by the
Administration we will adopt areas and families to rehabilitate them
with the assistance of Administration.

Special Note

Sangha Pariwar fully operating in relief works are as follows:

1.RSS 2. Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram 3. Vidya Bharati 4. Vishwa Hindu Parishad
5. Seva Bharathi 6. Vivekananda Kendra 7. BJP

Other Hindu Organizations working with our co-ordination:

Bharat Seva Ashram Sangh 2. Art of Living 3. Ramakrishna Mission etc.

Note: On 26th the first Relief work was done by RSS. At around 11.30
AM Swayam Sevaks provided cooked food for the displaced persons of
Dairy Farm, Junglighat, Machi Basti etc. in Port Blair.

By P. Venu Gopal Reddy, 094408-78878

PHYSCHLOGICAL SUPPORT BEING EXTENDED BY PARIVAR

WORKERS IN A&N ISLANDS

Port Blair Jan 05: It was around 2.40 PM of Jan 05 when the vehicle
carrying Relief workers just could maintain its balance and the driver
put a break. The vehicle with 5 passengers escaped falling on the sea
side at Wandoor. Later it was revealed as an earthquake hit again.
Thgis time it was recorded on 6.0 richer scale, perhaps the biggest
after 26th December.

The Sangh Pariwar has thrust his workers with relief works who found
terror in the eyes of the people living in various camps in Port Blair
soon after the tremor occurred yesterday.

A person, 19, from Katchal was physically best but was speechless
since the 26th morning. He saw his father, mother and one brother
entering into the deadly waves of tsunami never to return from there.
Since then he is not able to produce sâ€¦â€¦â€¦ paid the doctor attending to
him.

The relief workers found a number of persons in the camps who do not
wish to have money, clothes or cooked food but want to see and hear
their nears and dears. They do not want to believe that the nature has
denied their existence. So at this hour many a people mostly from
Nicobars district who constitute the larger group of tribal following
Christianity and some of them are Muslims too are not only being fed
attended and cleaned by the Sangh Pariwar workers in different camps
but also they are giving them â€¦.

and courage to get up and live again. Consoling these victims through
psychological strength yoga, patriotic songs, and other exercises, the
workers are helping them to regain their desire to live again treating
each and every distressed as a human being with humane touch.

In all 110 relief camps are is operation in the islands accommodating
21,111 distressed person of the 9908 are from Nicobars alone, most of
whom are Nicobaree tribes.

Indraprastha Vishwa Samvad Kendra

8-B/6428-29, First Floor, Dev Nagar, Arya Samaj Road, New Delhi-5,
Phone : 011-25862042, 25729320 Fax : 011-25822649 e_mail : ivsk@vsnl.net

Ancestral early warning systems saved Andaman janajaati: ASI

2005-01-04T07:44:00.000-08:00

The five aboriginal tribes inhabiting the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, our last missing link with early civilisation, have emerged unscathed from the tsunamis because of their age old "warning systems".

"The tribals get wind of impending danger from biological warning signals like the cry of birds and change in the behavioural patterns of marine animals. They must have run to the forests for safety. No casualties have been reported among these five tribes," ASI Director Dr V R Rao told .

This has promted the Anthropological Survey of India (ASI) to propose its immediate documentation to save coastal populations from similar disasters in future.

His team in the badly-hit islands reported the well being of all five aborigines tribes -- Jarwas, Onges, Shompens, Sentenelese and Great Andamanese.

Early warning systems developed by their forefathers and adapted successfully by the tribals must have sent the first alarm signals and given them time to run for safety, he said.

These tribes could be traced down to the mesolithic and upper paleolithic era (from 20000 to 60000 years ago), he said. They had inherited a wealth of indigenous knowledge that had not yet been recorded.

"Anthropologists have been recording these aspects for long. But the question is to properly document them and find means to create a national resource base upon which a coastal signalling system can be operated.

"We have proposed to the Centre to take up immediate documentation of these systems and geomorphological changes triggered by the tsunami since these would be fresh in the memory of the tribals now," Rao said.

http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=54372

VHPA , APPEAL FOR TSUNAMI VICTIMS’ RELIEF

2005-01-03T09:39:00.000-08:00

Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America Inc.

(World Hindu Council of America)

President’s address: 37 Kimberly Street West Hartford CT 06107

National Office:
P.O. Box 441505, Houston,
TX 77244-1505,

Tel : (281)-496-5676.
http://www.vhp-america.org

December 29, 2004

URGENT APPEAL FOR TSUNAMI VICTIMS’ RELIEF

Dear Friend:

Almost four years ago a devastating earthquake hit the western region of Bharat (India). On December 26, 2004, exactly after 47 months, Southern region of Bharat was hit by a more deadly disaster, Tsunami Tidal Waves, bringing unimaginable deaths and destruction to several countries around the Indian Ocean. The world saw the tragic scenes of dead bodies and total destruction of entire villages. Over 11,000 are feared dead, hundreds of thousands more are injured and majority of the homes and buildings in the coastal area of Southern Bharat are destroyed. Thousands of women have lost their husbands and children. No words or pictures can describe the horror of deaths and devastation.

We, the fortunate ones living in this land of plenty, can and should show the victims of this terrible tragedy that we CARE. We must feel their pain and grief as our own. We have to open our hearts and do our part by offering material help from this land of prosperity and promise.

We know that the monumental task of rehabilitation and resettlement will take months, may be years, of hard work by the survivors and thousands of dedicated volunteers. But, the most of all, it will take huge amount of money to help the survivors put back their lives in order. As seed money, VHP of America has released $40,000 from its own general Seva funds for this project.

Please offer your support the cause of Tsunami victims by making generous contributions.

Your contributions are tax-deductible.

Please make your check payable to

"VHPA – Tsunami Relief Fund "

Mail to

VHP of America,
PO Box 441505, Houston,
TX 77244-1505.

Why donate through VHP of America?

There is no overhead and 100% of your contributions will be sent to reputable non-governmental relief organizations known for their honesty and integrity. Seva funds for relief work are distributed without consideration of province, race or religion. We are a 501(c), non-profit tax-exempt organization.

All contributions are tax deductible. Tax ID # 51-0156325.

Immediately after the Gujarat Earthquake, volunteers of VHP- Gujarat were engaged in the rescue operation on war footing in different aspects, without any consideration of race or religion:

· 1000 volunteers in each affected city / town / village had been sent.

· Maximum volunteers had been sent to worst affected areas like Bhuj, Anjar, Rapar.

· Three hospitals run by VHP volunteers were completely devoted for the treatment of the injured. Several open-air hospitals were setup quickly.

· Meals were provided to approx. 30,000 people every day at several camps.

· Medicines, blankets, clothes and food items were distributed free.

· Removing the dead bodies from debris and performing the last rites before cremation.

· Emergency / preliminary treatment for injured.

VHP volunteers are similarly engaged now in the Tsunami affected areas in Tamilnadu.

Be a part of Mission: HOPE! Please open your hearts and your wallets.

Make your tax-deductible donation check payable to VHP of America - Tsunami Relief Fund and immediately mail to P.O. Box 441505, Houston, TX 77244-1505 Email: gensecy@vhp-america.org

_________________________________________

Tsunami Relief Fund Donation Form

Yes I / We want to help the victims of the Tsunami tragedy. Here is my / our contribution.

Name: __________________________________
Company: ____________________________

Address: ____________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Phone: __________________________ Email: ____________________________________

( ) $250 ( ) $500 ( ) $1,000 ( ) $2,500 ( ) $5,000 ( ) Other ________

Please make your check payable to VHP of America – Tsunami Relief Fund

P.O. Box 441505, Houston, TX 77244-1505

You may charge to your credit card: VISA____ Master Card_____ Discover_____

Card # ______________________________ Expiration ____ / _______

mm yy

Signature:________________________________

Tsunami relief work by RSS Tamilnadu - 31.12.2004

2005-01-02T18:18:00.000-08:00

Tsunami relief work by RSS Tamilnadu - 31.12.2004

At Nagappattinam

In the worst hit Nagappattinam district alone, 700
Swayamsevaks are engaged in the relief as on date.
They have removed and disposed of 1,759 dead bodies.

In the District, out of the 57 Coastal villages, 38
have been affected. Out of them 21 Villages have been
totally destroyed. So far the District has seen a
death toll of more than 7,000 people. 20,000 people
have been affected. The fate of 4,000 people is not
known. The Swayamsevaks have distributed 40,000 food
packets so far. Yesterday (December 30) alone 6,000
food packets where distributed. Also they distributed
clothes, blankets and medicines to the affected
people. 8 teams of doctors are also engaged in
extending medical treatment.

In places like Keechangkuppam, Papa Koil etc., where
the situation is so bad that even the Govt. officials
dreaded to venture in, Swayamsevaks were engaged in
rescue and relief work. They removed many dead bodies
which were badly decomposed. It is to be noted that
even after the District Collector's orders, the Govt.
employees didn't go there.

RSS has installed a mineral water plant in Tiruvarur.
This plant has started supplying 20,000 litres of pure
drinking water, which has become scarce, to the
affected people everyday.

It is a matter of grave concern that at this sad
moment, when so many people have lost their lives and
scores of Children have become orphans, some Christian
organizations like 'World Vision' are engaged in
converting the unfortunate child victims of the
Tsunami.

At Kanyakumari

Right from day one, Swayamsevaks have been engaged in
rescue and relief work with courage and daring. They
took the people who had lost their homes to safe
places. They retrieved 70 bodies from the AVM canal in
Koottumangalam, Mandaikadu and Ettimadai areas and
sent them to the Mortuary. They rendered medical
assistance to 400 people staying in temporary camps.
On the 26th food was given to 77 people.

On December 27, senior RSS workers met the PA to the
Collector. On his advice, under the guidance of
Sri.Radhakrishnan Tahsildar, 210 Swayamsevaks
retrieved 60 dead bodies from a canal. The govt. found
it very difficult to identify and hand over the bodies
strewn in the Kolachal General Hospital to their
relatives. The Swayamsevaks helped the Govt officers
in this task. The Swayamsevaks did the job in a calm,
kind and methodical manner. Everyone praised their
work. Many Christians who were victims of the Tsunami
were among those buried by the Swayamsevaks.

One of the dead was a vendor of sweets from Uttar
Pradesh. The Swayamsevaks helped his son Sri.Rajkumar
in cremating his father's body. Because Rajkumar had
difficulty with Tamil, he could not communicate with
the local people. Swayamsevaks helped him by
explaining to him in Hindi the procedure for getting
government assistance. When the Swayamsevaks were
engaged in relief work in Kottilpadu village they were
alerted by sounds of 'please save'. From inside a
thorny bush when they approached, the place it was
found that a lady was fighting for her life. She had
been there for two days. She was immediately rescued
and taken to Kolachal GH. Swayamsevaks also removed 6
dead bodies from the same bush.

On December 28, Swayamsevaks helped members of 20
families of Sambasiva Puram in Kolachal who had lost
their houses and all belongings. There 7 People had
lost their life. Because Kolachal has a considerable
percentage of Muslims, Hindus couldn't stay in any
relief camp. They also couldn't get Govt. assistance.
Swayamsevaks made them stay in V.K.P high school in
Kolachal and extended medical help to them. They also
registered their names with the officials and helped
them to get rice and other things. The Swayamsevaks
arranged for the disbursal of Rs.2,000 and clothes
from the Govt. They also helped 25 families to get
Rs.1,000 each from the Ramakrishna Mutt, Chennai. It
was given through the Sri Vivekananda Ashram at
Vellimalai.

In the next phase the RSS is planning to extend the
relief work to Veerabhaghupathy and Sothavalai
Villages.

A UNITED VILLAGE: Devaneri Kuppam (near Mahabalipuram)

Devaneri kuppam is a village situated very near the
world famous architectural marvel of Mahabalipuram on
the Coast of the Bay of Bengal. It is a predominantly
fishing village. It had 300 houses out of which 120
have been totally destroyed. Even the 30 houses which
are built with mortar and cement are badly damaged.

RSS Swayamsevaks are engaged in extending relief to
the people there. They distributed food packets and
biscuits to the people. It was a sight to witness
when, the unruly crowd was regulated in an orderly
queue by the village elders and the head men
themselves. They then received the relief materials
from the Swayamsevaks. When towards the end 5 Children
were left out because the stock of biscuits ran out,
the villagers asked several children who had already
received the same, to share their biscuits with those
children. The villagers said that "all the people in
the village are very much united in everything they
do". The Swayamsevaks also had brought some clothes
for distribution. But seeing that it was not enough
for all the villagers they told the Swayamsevaks that
the clothes may be kept in their custody and they may
be distributed when enough clothes are brought in
future. All this show how disciplined and dignified
the villagers are even in the face of the worst
calamity.

The Villagers told that they were saved only by the
grace of the Gangai Amman is the Presiding Deity of
the village. They narrated how the 8 foot high idol of
the Devi remained intact while the main door and the
door of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple were
washed away by the waves. They are planning to
celebrate the oncoming festival for the Devi in a
fitting manner and hope that the situation will
improve by then.

Because all the boats and fishing nets have been
destroyed, they are badly in need of these to eke out
a living. They told Swayamsevaks that on an average
each family used to earn Rs.1500 per day. They
recalled the incident when they watched on T.V the
victims of the 2001 Gujarat Earthquake rushing to get
food packets air dropped to them. At the time they
were wondering why these people were running after
food packets. Ironically, they are placed in a similar
situation now. They said they never imagined that one
day they would also face a similar problem.

Released by Media Centre, Chennai

Nataraja Darshan saves lives of 4000 fishermen
While thousads lost their lives in the Cuddalore coast to Tsunami,
close to 4000 fishermen belonging to some 20 villages like Killai,
Pichavaram, Kavarapattu neighboring the Chidambaram region escaped.
They had left their villages to attend the annual ritual of "Arudra
Darshan" at the world famous Nataraja Mandir in Chidambaram. As has
been their practice for generations, they were involved in the pulling
of the Mandir Car. When they returned to their villages post Tsunami,
they found their entire villages ravaged beyond recognition. Sri
Srinivasakumar a member of the fishermen community told us that they
were saved because of the grace of Nataraja. He stated that inside the
Chidambaram Mandir, they did not find any impact at all. He concluded
" all of us owe our lives to Him".

TSUNAMI : PR stunt of Sonia Gandhi at Relief Camps

2005-01-01T21:52:00.000-08:00

Just in case you are planning to donate to the Indian PM's Relief Fund, the following eye opener should give you a good glimpse into how your "donations" will put to work.

May Lord Rama help the people of poor Bharat.

The gentleman I met was a big businessman and a top
district level politician. But on that day he was a ground level
Samaritan trying to arrange for help. Apollo Hospitals was the first
outside of Nagai doctors' team to come for assistance. They had two
senior surgeons, pediatric, ortho, cardiac, gyneac specialists, a few
junior docs and many para medics. Most of the people who with whom I
was inducted, were local residents who had enormous economic impact
but not much of health impact. They had nothing to do with politics or
any organizations but just being themselves. They had all moved their
families to far away relative's houses and stayed back to help those
who lost everything in the waves. These I got to know later but then
there was no time for introductions then.

By the time, I was introduced into the team; the team was ready to
move to the next relief camp and was packing up. I was given a face
mask and gloves. There was one girl who was being carried into the
ambulance with a drip being administered. As soon as we started moving
towards the next relief camp, the traffic was blocked. SONIA GANDHI
WAS VISITING THE "IMPACTED" PEOPLE AND HENCE, RELIEF WORK WAS STOPPED.

Out of nowhere, came about 40 vehicles, 200+ supporters of congress
jumped out and formed a human wall. Sonia went into the hospital and
the police and supporters started controlling the crowd. PEOPLE WHO
LOST EVERYTHING WERE BEING THREATENED BY COPS WITH LATHIS TO NOT WALK
AROUND. Ladies were bought in from a nearby camp to cry in front of
Sonia!!! The spread their hair and started off, but were told to hold
off till Sonia comes out of the relief camp. About 15 mins later,
Sonia came out to meet the crowds and the "prepared" ladies started
wailing that they lost everything. Photo opportunities for leaders,
scoop for media and .......... Pack up time to move and all got into
the cars and went. Not one of the supporters stayed back, for they
have the important task of being the tail of their leader. The place
got its weary look back with only the cops on duty to guard the
refugees remaining.

Nataraja Darshan saves lives of 4000 fishermen

2005-01-01T16:54:00.000-08:00

Translation from Telugu – Eenadu, Tamilnadu Supplementary section dated 31st December, 2004: Page 1

Nataraja Darshan saves lives of 4000 fishermen

While thousads lost their lives in the Cuddalore coast to Tsunami, close to 4000 fishermen belonging to some 20 villages like Killai, Pichavaram, Kavarapattu neighboring the Chidambaram region escaped. They had left their villages to attend the annual ritual of "Arudra Darshan" at the world famous Nataraja Mandir in Chidambaram. As has been their practice for generations, they were involved in the pulling of the Mandir Car. When they returned to their villages post Tsunami, they found their entire villages ravaged beyond recognition. Sri Srinivasakumar a member of the fishermen community told us that they were saved because of the grace of Nataraja. He stated that inside the Chidambaram Mandir, they did not find any impact at all. He concluded " all of us owe our lives to Him".

LONDON : Hindu Forum launches disaster relief task force

2004-12-30T13:11:00.000-08:00

[World News]: London, Dec 29 : The Hindu Forum of
Britain and 50 major organizations have launched a
'disaster relief task force' that will formulate a
unified strategy for aid organizations in the UK
helping the victims of natural calamities in the
Indian subcontinent.

The representatives of SEWA International, VHP UK,
ISKCON, Gujarat Hindu Society Preston, South Indian
Society, Chinmaya Mission, Jain Samaj and several
other Hindu Councils met at a prayer meeting at
Bhaktivedanta Manor ISKCON temple here last evening to
launch the task force.

"We prayed for strength to all those affected by the
tragedy," Shruti Dharma Dasa from ISKCON said. "In
addition to the prayers it is important to engage in
practical relief work. The Hindu forum's strategy
meeting that formed the task force will bring together
an action plan to help victims of the tragedy," he
said.

"The task force brings together organizations engaged
in aid and relief work so that offers of help can be
coordinated and managed in an effective way to
facilitate information sharing, and avoidance of
duplication," explained Ramesh Kallidai, Secretary
General of the Hindu Forum of Britain.

"The British Government has risen to the occasion by
allocating 15 million pounds for the affected
countries, though it is clear that significantly more
will have to be allocated once the full impact
assessment has been completed," said Kapil Dudakia,
Head of Public Relations of the Forum.

The Task Force would meet tomorrow to activate a
unified plan for the relief and rehabilitation work.
PTI

New Kerala
Dec 29, 2004

http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=52255

Sonia's cosmetics would not suffice : Callous Congress

2004-12-30T13:06:00.000-08:00

S K Balasubramanian,
B-8,Apsara apartments,
259, Bund Garden Road,
Pune 411001.
Ph: +91-20-2612 0627
email: smanian@sancharnet.in

The callousness of the Indian Government and its departments came out
in recent tsunami tragedy. It should have been declared national
tragedy.

It happened at 3 in the morning Indonesion time or 6 am Indian time
Sunday.

I do not see cable but only National DD. At the Newstime at 8 pm there
was a cricket match with Bangladesh. I came to know of the tsunami and
the earthquake when my daughter from the US called at night 3 am local
time. For full 20 hours I was in the dark. Lack of sensitivity
at all levels was the cause.

The tragedy could have been minimized if there had been an alert.
Andamans did not have time to organize evacuation but mainland India
had full three hours in the morning when an alert could have been
sounded and several thousands could have been asked to leave their
homes. Even if they had run on their feet they would have been alive
today. The waves did not reach beyond half a mile on the shore.

Callousness in the extreme.

Worse still the Government has started fudging the figures. Only 5%
of the real casualties had been reported.

God alone can save this country if a few Met heads dont roll. Sonia's
cosmetics would not suffice
---------------------------

This is not "callousness". In reality it is much more than that. It is
a travesty and a CRIME against the people of Bharat, very people that
put the government in power.

The lives lost must not be in vain.

The people of Bharat need to rise against the so-called "democratically
elected" government and demand some REAL ANSWERS. (Just as the
relatives of that IA plane did during the hijacking by the Taliban Junglees of
Afghanistan)

The failure of the government has clearly resulted in massive loss of
lives.

While we all know that no government or human power can stop a natural
disaster such as an earthquake from happening, every government has at
its disposal the ability to provide adequate facilities that would
minimize the loss of human lives & material during such disasters.

On the beach in Madras there was not a single siren or any other device
that could have warned the people. And it is clear that the government
agencies had 90 LONG MINUTES on hand to send out the warnings.

What a shame.

And now to see the ambulance chaser Italian broad ride in helicopters
and private planes for photo ops is enough to turn steel a coated
stomach into pulp. She does all this at the expense of the poor people. Just
what kind of a human is she?

And the GoI is asking for donations? For what? So the broad can get
free rides? What about all those millions from her husband's "memorial
fund" she has stashed away in foreign accounts? Now would be a darn good
time to bring it back to where it belongs. In the meanwhile, she should
be greeted with stones & spits.

Has that "Guiness Book of World Records" Masala dosa (the actress)
issued any statement yet?

Helloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo???

Sri Satya Sai organisation - Chennai

2004-12-30T10:01:00.000-08:00

Sri Satya Sai organisation - Chennai:

Served 40000 people on the first two days after Tsunami with food and clothing.Very impressive.They do it without advertisement, or soliciting donations. They mobilise donations from within.

They have 24 hour fully manned office with 35000 registerd donars, who can be mobilised within a days notice.

Tel:044 24346255, and ask for information realated to tsunami relief.

They have sent truck loads to Cuddalore and Nagapattinam. i saw the trucks leaving after devotees after singing Bhajans.

What victims want is bed sheets to cover themselves in cold nights,place to stay,and help to get their basic documentation like ration card,drivers license,etc.

There are practical issues like orphans,property settlement,separations of relatives,tourists dying in strange places,

Artof living Sri Sri Ravishankar's groups werer moving about in trucks were seen collecting clothes .

Jaggi vasudev's Isha yoga groups are also similarly working.

The Ramakrishna Mission is working.

One have to visit their websites and publications to come out with all news in due time, and provide a link

Sangh swings into action -Day and night relief work going on

2004-12-30T09:57:00.000-08:00

Tsunami disaster - Sangh swings into action -Day and night
relief work going on
Author: Hindustan Samachar
Publication: Mumbai Tarun Bharat
Date: December 30, 2004

Chennai: 29th.

The Swayamsevaks, as usual, have rushed to the help of the Tsunami-hit
South Indian countrymen who have suffered extreme loss of life and
property to enable them to rehabilitate them ands make them stand on
their
feet again. The work of saving lives and relief is going on day and
night.

"In the state of Tamilnadu where the loss of life and property is
highest,
more than 1000 swayamsevaks in 10 centres are engaged in the relief
work,"
said Parmeshwaran, Chief of State Service. Joint Prant Pracharak
Bhaktvatsalam is supervising this relief work.

Swayamsevaks are taking food, clothes and medicines to victims on war
footing. "The work of pulling out the bodies from underneath the debris
and doing the funeral rituals has become very difficult. Swayamsevaks
have
also been sent to the other districts, Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem,
Trichi,
Ambur, and Erode. Large number of swayamsevaks have been sent
particularly to Nagapattanam District," said Bhaktvatsalam.

50 students fromVivekanand College, Madurai have joined this mission.
200
swayamsevaks rushed to Kolachal in Kanyakumari within a short time
after
the waves have struck and done the havoc. Here, the work is done with
the
assistance of Ramkrishna Mission. There are two medical camps run by
RSS.
Dr Srinivas and Dr Daiva Prakasham are supervising them. Within a few
hours from the striking of waves, Swayamsevaks distributed 20,000
packets
of food.

Swayamsevaks have started relief in Nellore and Prakasham Districts in
Andhra Pradesh. In Mayapadu, workers of Seva Bharati saved the lives of
44
people, which earned the praise of the District Collector.

2000 people have taken asylum in the relief camp, which is being run by
Swayamsevaks in Singaria Konda village. Food and medicines are being
provided by Swayamsevaks. Besides this, relief work is going on in
Guntur,
Krishna and Godavari districts by Sangh workers.

There are 26 relief camps being run in Kolam district in Kerala. Out of
them, 24 camps are run by Swayamsevaks. Similarly, Seva Bharati is
running
14 relief camps in Alpuza District. There was a camp of preliminary
training camp of Sangh in operation in Ernakulam. It has been changed
in
a relief camp. There are about 600 people who have taken asylum.

At Nagpattanam, Swayamsevaks carried funeral rites on 1100 bodies. In
this
work, Swayamsevaks are assisting Red Cross also.

Note:

BJP has launched an Apada Sahayyata Kosh - Disaster Relief Fund and its
Maharashtra President, Nitin Gadkari has appealed the people for
generous
contribution. Advani is on a tour of the disaster struck territory and
Jaswant Singh will be visiting Andaman Nicobar to assess the loss and
need
of relief.

Appeal for help to earth quake victims by RSS

2004-12-30T09:56:00.000-08:00

Appeal for help to earth quake victims by Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh

Author: Staff reporter
Publication: Mumbai Tarun Bharat
Date: December 28, 2004
Mumbai, 27th.

"The terrible earthquake has caused loss of life and property to a
massive extent on the east coast including Andaman Nicobar islands.
Swayamsevaks of Sangh are working at all these places. In Andhra Pradesh,
Jansankshem Samiti and Seva Bharati in Tamilnadu have started Relief camps.
From Maharashtra also work for relief has started and for this purpose,
a very large quantity of all kinds of help is required. Citizens should
generously contribute to this work," appealed Bhausaheb Mokashi, Kokan
Prant Sanghchalak.

The people desirous of helping should draw cheques or drafts or send M
Os in the name of "Sevabharati Tamilnadu". Besides money, utensils,
medicines and blankets can also be contributed. People desiring to extend
help, should contact R. S. S. Karyalaya, Yashawant Bhavan, Pandurang
Budhkar Marg, Behind Deepak Cinema, Lower Parel, Mumbai 400 013 -
Telephone No. 2494 7224 or 2494 7330.

Sonia Gandhi pressuring Manmohan to divert PM relief Funds to Christian Organizations

2004-12-29T20:27:00.000-08:00

This is a note from well placed source

Soonia Gandhi has humiliated Manmohan Singh by asking him to cancel his trip to Tsunami aggected areas , now super PM Soonia want to divert money from Prime Minister relief fund to Christian organizations .

"Please keep a watch on the money pouring into the Prime Minister's Relief Fund. I am getting complaints that under pressure from Soonia Gandhi large amounts may be channelled to Christian organizations engaged in relief work "

All India Movement For Seva : Relief work

2004-12-29T16:12:00.000-08:00

Your help is needed this minute.

All India Movement For Seva (AIM For Seva) is actively involved in relief work in India. Please read below for details. I have organized the information in the following categories:

(A) Appeal by Swami Dayananda Saraswati
(B) Examples and reports of courageous actions
(C) How to give
(D) Organizations to avoid
(E) Prayers

(A) Appeal by Swami Dayananda Saraswati
The devastations caused by the tsunami are all over the media. Any
help has to be through a committed team of people engaged in the very
areas where the people need various forms of attention and help. The
All India Movement for Seva people are very much right in Chennai,
Pondicherry, Nagapatnam district and other coast areas doing relief
work. Our Swamis, all over India, are collecting materials and funds.
This work is going on, on a war footing.

All India Movement for Seva is appealing to everyone to contribute and
also to raise funds through others. We need help right now! It is
urgent! AIM for Seva is going to rehabilitate the people besides
providing food and medicine.

Your active participation is very valuable at this time of need. One
thing All India Movement for Seva assures you is, literally every cent
goes to this work.

-- Dayananda Saraswati

(B) Examples and reports of courageous actions

An army headed by Sanyasis is at work. I present 3 snippets here:

------Story From Jaishankar Narayanan, AIM For Seva,
------who himself barely escaped the brunt of the Tsunami
------at Kovalam beach near Chennai

All the people who were living near the coast have fled their homes and
are living in Govt schools, temples, Marriage halls etc. in interior
areas. Yesterday I went along with my friends and we bought food
packets and water from a nearby hotel and distributed 250 packets of
food and 200 water sachets to people living in Kelambakkam Govt School.
We also visited the Kovalam village and surveyed the damage. The shore
temple which was renovated recently in intact. Many houses which were
adjacent to the shore have been damaged and damaged boats are lying far
away from the coastline. I talked to some fishermen and they said that
they have lost their livelihood as boats and nets have been lost. It
may take a month to put together something and venture into the sea
again.

From there we went to Pudupakkam Hill where there is an Anjaneya
temple. Many panic stricken people (more than 1000) have taken shelter
in this hill. The temple has some utensils (big ones) as annadana is
done here during auspicious days like Hanumatjayanthi. Some nearby
industries had donated stoves and LPG cylinders. They wanted provisions
for the evening meal and clothes. We gave the clothes, which we had
collected during the day, to them and bought provisions like Rice, oil,
spices etc. for Rs. 2800 and donated to them. I went there in the
evening again. They had really done a good job of cooking sambar rice,
tomato rice and Curd rice with pickle ( I tasted some) and were
distributing the food to the people. I went up the hill and talked to
the people there. Many old people wanted some warm clothes and
bedsheets. Someone had donated bedsheets but all of them did'nt get it.
The people there told me that they have'nt got relief from the Govt
yet. Only NGOs like Saisamitis and other local people have been helping
them out.

I expect the people to slowly go and settle down in their villages
today, if there are no more aftershocks, but they still require
provisons, utensils and other household items. Srividya had called up
all her friends,students and the people we know during the day and they
all have agreed to donate provisons, clothes and some money. We will
collecting all those materials and distribute it in the coming days. I
will also be talking to the village elders today and find out what can
be done for the longterm so that they can start their livelihoods
again.

-------Message from Swami Pramananda, Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Combatore----------

Our venue is In Koradacheri. We have a kalyana mandapam there where we
are cooking and feeding food for over 3000 people every day, and medical
care is being given. We are near to Nagapatnam. Unlike in Chennai where
there are industries helping, in Nagapatnam there is no local support.
The local authorities Tasildar and others are looking to AIM for Seva
for support.

Manjakkudi Ramachandran and his team of about 60-70 villagers of the
area near Koradacheri has been doing phenomenal work in preparing and
distributing food materials since Sunday. They have offered shelter to
over 2000 people since the evening of the disaster, also.
The situation is very bad there. Our people have gone to the site and
found dead bodies in the hundreds below the thatched roofs of collapsed
huts. The stench now fills the air.

AIM for Seva at the all India level is organizing its human and material
resources to be sent to the Koradacheri area.

-------------From Swami Tattvabodhananda, Pondicherry, 4 days ago--------------

Here in Pondicherry, karaikal area more than 300 people died and 2500
people lost their homes. I had visited Ariyankuppam, Veerampattinam,
Kottaimedu, Vaitheekuppam, and Kalapet in pondicherry and tomorrow i
will be visiting kariakal area.

Today we had surveyed to give away the cloths to the affected people.
we need the following items immediately for the needy (for one area)

Sleeping mats minimum 2000 nos
Blankets atleast 2000 nos (it is very cold during night)
Vessel for cooking rice
rice, sugar, wheat powder, (atta) maida, kerosine, edible oil,

Namaskaram.
Swami Tattvabodhananda

-------------From Swami Siddhabodhananda, Coimbatore--------------

As an emergency relief yesterday, Swami Dayananda Educational Trust,
Manjakkudi, rented a Kalyana Mandapam and gave food, milk, lodging and
medical aid to 1,000 women and children. These villagers will be
returning to their villages by 29th December.

By the end of this week, AIM for Seva will make a consolidated effort in
providing ongoing food and human resources for reconstruction and
rehabilitation of the affected areas.

We at the Gurukulam will be organizing containers of supplies at the
National level to be sent to the affected areas in coordination with
Manjakkudi Centre.

---End of Courageous efforts

(C) How to give

If possible family including children can be asked to go door to door
to collect funds.
If you are living in the US:

Make a tax-deductible donation on-line @ www.aimforseva.org
[Note: please check "Tsunami Support" after clicking the "DONATE NOW" button.]
or Send your check/Credit card info to:

All India Movement for Seva
c/o Janet Falk
PO Box 639
Saylorsburg, PA 18353
Tel: (570) 402-1244
usaoffice@aimforseva.org
If you are living in India:

Send your donation (cheque or Demand Draft) to:
All India Movement for Seva
c/o R. Venkatramani
Arsha Vidya Gurukulam
Anaikatti Post
Coimbatore 641-108
Tel: 0422-265-7150
In Chennai, you can also get in touch with:
Bri. K. Chandra
Coordinator, AIM for Seva Corps (Tamilnadu)
78/10 Kala flats, Dr. Ranga Rd, Mylapore Chennai 600 004
Tel: 044-24997857 :Mob-98404 63989
kchandra321@vsnl.net

Or

Smt. Krishnaveni
gayathrihariom@yahoo.co.in
Phone: 24454388
(D) Organizations to avoid

Avoid giving to Chief Minister's relief fund, PM's relief funds etc.
Indian Government is slow & corrupt. Enough said.

There are organizations like IDRF and AID that are channeling funds to
local agencies. If you support them, please suggest that they get in
touch with AIM For Seva. AIM For Seva is in the front-line.

(E) Prayer

If you are able to provide physical help, by all means do. You may
contact AIM. or other local agencies, including AID. I was checking
AID website and Prof. Ravishankar (IIT, Chennai) is leading relief
efforts.

Finally, Pray, Pray, Pray. Invoke God's Grace to help the helpless,
and to give strength to the hundreds of thousands of sevaks who are
providing hope to the needy. Chant or write a japa (for e.g.
'Vighnaharaya Namaha') as many times as you can.

Open your heart. Give to your brothers and sisters.

With most heartfelt prayers,
Jayakumar

REPORT : Relief work carried out by Swayamsevaks

2004-12-29T15:34:00.000-08:00

Relief work carried out by Swayamsevaks in tsunami affected areas

Indraprastha Vishwa Samvad Kendra
8-B/6428-29, First Floor, Dev Nagar, Arya Samaj Road, New Delhi-5,
Phone : 011-25862042, 25729320 Fax : 011-25822649 e_mail :
ivsk@vsnl.net Press Release Date- 29-12-2004

RELIEF WORK CARRIED OUT BY THE SWAYAMSEVKS IN TSUNAMI EFFECTED AREAS

TAMILNADU

The earth quake that hit the East Coast line on December26, 2004
caused extensive damage to many places of Tamil Nadu, particularly
Chennai, Pondichery, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam and Kanniyakumari.
Tremors were initially felt around 6.30 in the morning. But around
8.45 a.m., the sea water raised upto 10 mtrs with terrific speed
engulfing the huts, houses and people living in the coastal areas and
also people who were walking on the coastal road, children playing
nearby, fishermen both in and out of sea. Fishing boats, fishnets and
catamarans were extensively damaged.

By 10.30 a.m. swayamsevaks swung into action and involved themselves
in the relief work. By noon 12.30 the swayamsevaks started
distributing food packets, buns, clothes, blankets, milk to the
children etc. In some places, relief centres were opened and food
prepared round the clock. Immediately, nearly 800 swayamsevaks
involved themselves in relief work. Around 20,000 food packets were
distributed. Six medical centres were opened for giving medical
assistance.

Nagapattinam district is the worst affected. Approximately 3000 lives
have been lost in the district. Responding to the appeal of the
District Collector more than 500 Swayamsevaks have plunged into relief
work. Nearly 1000 dead bodies have been removed by Swayamsevaks .

Two ambulances with doctors, one each from Salem and Coimbatore, have
been sent to Nagapattinam for the rescue and relief operations.
Assistance in the form of rice, dhal, clothes, and medicines from all
parts of the state is reaching the district.

One of the Villages badly affected in Kanyakumari district is Pallam.
RSS Swayamsevaks are actively engaged in relief work there. This
village has a predominant CSI Christian Community.

A survey is being conducted in the entire coastal belt to assess the
extent of damage and the areas which need rehabilitation work.

IMMEDIATE NEEDS ARE
1. Repairing of damaged fishing boats
2. Buying fishing nets
3. Subsidising diesel supply to the mechanized fishing boat owners
4. Supplying house hold necessities and repair and construction of new houses

We appeal to the general public to co-operate by giving their
contributions at the earliest in the name of:

SEVA BHARATHI TAMILNADU (EARTH QUAKE RELIEF A/C)
(Income Tax exempted under section 80G)
'Shakti' No.1, M.V.Naidu Street, Chetput, Chenai 600 031.
Phone No. 044 - 2836 0243, 2836 1049
e.mail: rsschennai@eth.net & vskchennai@vsnl.net

ANDHRA PRADESH

Relief teams comprising the swayamsevaks of RSS swung into action in
the districts of Nellore and Prakasham and engaged themselves in
relief and rescue operations. An Eye Camp was scheduled to be held at
Mypadu of Nellore District and doctors and other para medical staff
from Jaya Bharat Hospital affiliated to Seva Bharati of Nellore were
available on the spot when the calamity broke out.
The collector of the district who paid a visit to the village felt
relieved on seeing them and on learing that 43 persons were rescued by
the RSS swayamsevaks. Additional batches of workers also reached
Mypadu ,Iskapalli and channayapalem villages taking chapatis and
tamarind rice packets to be distributed to the displaced persons.

At Singaraya Konda in Prakasam Dist 2000 persons from the coastal
villages have been sheltered in a camp and arrangement for food and
medical aid have been with the help of local rice millers and other
philantrapic individuals.
Relief activities are also underway in several other districts like
Guntur, Krishna, Godavari etc.

KERALA

Kollam : Karunagappally taluk suffered major fury. Around 86 people
died. But casualties are definitely going to be more. 6600 people are
housed in 26 relief camps. Swayamsewaks are managing 14 camps out of
them. Besides they are operating six ambulances and also providing
food, clothes, medicines and beddings. An estimated 800 houses have
been washed away.

Alappuzha:- 23 people reported to be dead. More bodies are being
recovered.800 houses have been damaged. Most of them belong to poor
fishermen. Relief camps are jam-packed. There are only 14 camps and
around 40000 people are housed. All these camps are being run by Sewa
Bharati. Sewa Bharathi has opened a relief camp in the Kayamkulam
Taluk Hospital much to the relief of Govt. authorities.

Ernakulam:- The RSS training camp at a place viz. Nayarambalam has
been converted into a relief camp. Food and medicines have been
arranged for around 600 inmates. Further help is pouring in.

BJP, RSS set out on collection drive : Clothes, food, money

2004-12-29T15:29:00.000-08:00

BJP, RSS set out on collection drive :Clothes, food, money

THE BJP and RSS in Gujarat on Tuesday announced elaborate plans to
gather from every corner of the State relief material and funds for
the tsunami-hit victims of south India.

In separate news conferences, both organisations refrained from
criticising the UPA government in its response to the calamity and the
ongoing relief work carried out by it. Both RSS Gujarat sangh-chalak
Amritbhai Kadiwala and BJP State president Rajendrasinh Rana said the
relief operations by the Central government were ''going fine''.

Kadiwala said over 2,000 RSS workers from south India were engaged in
relief operations in affected areas in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and
Nicobar islands. ''We in Gujarat have started collection of clothes,
food material and money for the relief work. Swayamsevaks across
Gujarat have started collecting aid from citizens,'' he said.

RSS-affiliated Seva Samiti Trust leader Vallabhbhai Saholia has
donated Rs 50,000 for relief work, said Kadiwala. He said swayamsevaks
in all 1,200 shakhas in Gujarat would be visiting main squares in all
major cities and towns of the state to collect relief material.

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=112025

RSS swayamsevaks running relief camps

2004-12-29T15:27:00.000-08:00

RSS swayamsevaks running relief camps; a team of 14 doctors, 20
truckloads of relief materials sent from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu

New Delhi, Dec. 29 (PTI): The RSS has sought reports from its units in
the southern States where tsunami had killed thousands of people and
hit the lives of fishermen, so that it could further streamline the
ongoing relief activities being carried on by its swayam sevaks.

"We have asked for reports from the all the affected States including
our unit in Andaman and Nicobar so that we can further streamline our
relief and rehabilitation measures in these areas," RSS spokesman Ram
Madhav, told reporters here today.

"As it is difficult for one organisation to handle the entire relief
operations, the Sangh, therefore, decided to carry out relief
activities in the affected areas. We are also taking steps to provide
assistance to the fishermen who have lost their boats and thus, the
very source of their livelihood," he said.

The RSS plans to make Chennai its headquarters and from there extend
help to all the affected persons, including those in Andaman and
Nicobar islands, he said.

Madhav said 20 truckloads of relief material has been sent from
Karnataka to Tamil Nadu as also a team of 14 doctors while in Andhra
Pradesh and Kerala, swayam sevaks were running relief camps. He
appealed to the people to contribute towards the relief fund launched
by Seva Bharathi Tamil Nadu.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200412291825.htm

Sewa Inernational's appeal to help tsunami-affected

2004-12-29T14:37:00.000-08:00

Sewa Inernational's appeal to help tsunami-affected people of coastal Southern Bharat Appeal to help Tsunamis affected people of coastal Southern India

Giant Tsunamis unleashed by a massive undersea earthquake in distant
Sumatra lashed coastal southern India on Sunday morning, killing
several thousands people and affecting millions of people in Tamil
Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Pondicherry and Andaman and Nicobar
Islands. Worst affected is the fishermen community who generally
reside along the coast.

http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/dec/27an.htm
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/gallery/0281/0281i001.htm

Volunteers from Sewa Bharati, Jana Sankshema Samiti, Vivekanand Kendra
and several other organizations have swung into action and are
providing the much-needed rescue and relief services to the victims.
Emergency medical services including medicines, food packets, drinking
water, clothes are being provided. A quick survey is also being done
to estimate the destruction. All of us should join this effort in this
hour of crisis.

Sewa International in association with local organizations, is
planning to work for the rehabilitation of affected families
including:
â€¢ Medical services
â€¢ Distribution of fishing nets, assistance for purchasing and
repairing fiber boats
â€¢ Repair of diesel engines and supply fuel
â€¢ Distribution of textbooks, notebooks and uniforms to students.
â€¢ Construction of houses.
â€¢ Repair and construction of community infrastructure.
Sewa International makes an appeal to come forward and help us serve
those affected by the killer Tsunamis.

All inland donations should be sent to:

1. Sewa Bharathi Tamil Nadu
Shakti, 1, M.V. Street, Pachvati, Chetpet, Chennai- 600031, Tamil Nadu
Ph: 044-28361049, 28360243 E-mail: sevabharthitn@yahoo.com

2. Jana Sankshema Samiti
Madhava Sadhan, Kaleshwara Rao Road, Vijaywada- 520002, Andhra Pradesh

All donations from outside India should be sent to:

Sewa International
Apte Bhavan, 10196, D. B. Gupta Road, Jhandewala, New Delhi- 110055, India
Ph: 91-11-23517373, 23684445, E-mail: sewain@vsnl.com
Bank Account No: 21290, State Bank of India, Jhandewala Extn., New Delhi-110055
Branch Code No: 9371